Looking through tears
by Kailiata
Summary: Things can sometimes seem clearer when you are looking through tears. Scenes between Luna and Draco set within the 6th and 7th book and beyond.  Part I - HBP completed!
1. Part I  Half Blood Prince

**A/N** Hello! This is my first Harry Potter fanfiction so be nice! The idea just came to me and I just felt that I needed to write it down. I usually stay away from HP fanfic since it's so popular. Anyways, I've proof read it but I've probably missed something and I'm not an expert on Harry Potter so I've probably made a mistake somewhere so please tell me if you see anything :)  
>I'm only going to do short chapters and any ideas would be welcome. Of course I don't own anything but the plot.<p>

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><p><strong>Looking through tears -Chapter 1<strong>  
><strong>Storm<strong>

Luna had skipped pudding. For anyone who even knew her a little, this meant there was something seriously wrong. In fact, it wasn't that something was wrong. It was that something was not right. She had woken up, as always with a smile on her face, and had made her way dreamily through the mornings lessons but around the time when she was making her way to the great hall for her lunch, a cloud had descended. It was a murky cloud and it seemed to occasionally lash out with bolts of lightening. So much so, that by the time pudding had materialised in front of her, Luna had lost all desire to eat it.

So here she was, wandering the deserted corridors of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry trying to shift the thunderstorm that seemed to be growing inside her head. She was just turning the corner heading towards Moaning Myrtle's bathroom when she finally reached the decision that she might have to go and see Madame Pomfrey. At first the storm had just been a kind of uncomfortable feeling, now she could actually hear the sound of raindrops hitting the floor and the wind as it gasped.

Luna glanced one final time at the window. As she expected, the sun was out in full throttle as if to emphasise the fact that Luna could not enjoy it. Shaking her head to try and rid herself of the noise, she sighed. Wrackspurts were clearly having a good time inside her head. Suddenly she stopped mid shake, her head cocked slightly to one side, causing her to look like a puppy waiting for a command from its master. The rain didn't sound like rain any more, it sounded more like... crying?

Hesitantly, her head still leaning to one side, Luna crept towards the sound and, laying her hand flat against the door, she pushed it open a crack. Pushing her eye towards the space, she gazed wonderingly at the scene before her. The storm she had heard was coming from a figure that was unmistakeably Draco Malfoy. His back was hunched as he leaned heavily on the wash basins, his body heaving as he gasped for air. Luna let out a gasp that sounded more like she was saying 'oh'. It was barely audible but it was enough for the Slytherin to turn around and search the bathroom fiercely with his eyes.

Although it was against her nature, Luna decided that she should let the cat be the only victim of curiosity and turned to leave. She didn't even feel the need to scream as she felt two strong hands, grip her arms and pull her back through the door she had just turned from.

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><p>Did you like it? Then Please, please, please review! I'll be your bestest friend forever if you do!<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

**I know the chapters are unbelievably short but I've already got about 3 really long fics going on so this is kind of my break one. But since they're short chapters I'll be able to update fast! Huzzah. Again, reviews are wonderful.  
>Oh, in case you didn't realise this chapter and the chapter before are half blood prince.<strong>

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><p>Her back hit the wall with enough force that she heard the crack as her head made contact with the brick. Her instinctive reaction was to rub it but of course, due to her current situation a certain Draco Malfoy was preventing her from doing so. So instead she looked up at the face of her captor. He was quite a lot taller than her but he was leaning against the wall with one arm, preventing her escape which made him seem a lot shorter than he actually was. His other hand was over her mouth, much to Luna's annoyance. She had several helpful words of nonsense to say to the platinum blonde in front of her if he would only -<p>

'URGH! You filthy, little tramp!'

Draco had removed his hand from her mouth the second her tongue had made contact with his palm. The insult barely registered in Luna's brain. She'd heard worse.

Still breathing heavily, Draco pushed her back against the wall, pulled his wand from inside his cloak and pointed it at Luna's face, causing her to go cross-eyed as she looked at it. Her eyes strayed down the wand and up towards Draco's face. It was tear stained and blotchy but still crookedly handsome. He was wearing his trademark sneer and his eyes were baring straight into hers.

'I swear, if you even whisper a word of what you've seen to anyone, you'll wish you were never born.' It seemed to frustrate him that she didn't look frightened as his sneer grew more promounced.

'I won't tell anyone.' Luna's dreamy voice gave Draco little comfort as he released her.

'But you know, if you're crying you shouldn't hide yourself away. In the Quibbler it says that if you hide your true fee-'

'What makes you think I give a damn about what some crackpot in your precious scribbler says?'

For a moment, the glassiness in Luna's eyes seemed to waver and Draco was sure he saw the corners of her mouth turn down slightly but the moment was so fleeting, he wasn't sure if he'd imagined it. Perhaps he had struck a cord.

'Draco?'

'It's Malfoy to you, Loony.'

'Why were you-'

'Get out before I hex your twisted, empty brain so much you won't even remember your own name.'

With a final smile she left talking to herself gleefully. Draco thought he heard her say that she sometimes forgot it anyway but told himself that even for Loony Lovegood that was too far.


	3. Chapter 3

Luna heard the impact as she walked into the third person that afternoon. She couldn't help it. Her mind was having a fierce debate with itself about the likelihood that Professor Snape was actually related to that muggle they called Ozzy Osbourne so something as trivial as watching where she was going had completely flown out of the window.

'Merlin, Lovegood! Is there anything at all in that bonkers head of yours?'

She looked up into the glaring eyes of the Slytherin she had just walked into.

'I'm sorry, Draco.' her voice seemed as though she had swallowed an unhealthy amount of some illegal muggle drug. She had begun to walk away but Draco grabbed her arm roughly and hissed into her ear.

'I. Told. You. To. Call. Me. Malfoy.'

'Ok. You look stressed, Mal-foy. Maybe you should try Kalms? There these muggle pills that are meant to make you relaxed. The make them out of muggle plants. Imagine! They don't seem to be very good though. I've had a whole packet and they've had no effect at all.'

Draco stared blankly at the babbling girl. It was a moment before he realised he still had hold of her and another before he registered that she'd even been talking. He let go of her arm as though it was on fire and marched away, leaving her chatting to no-one in particular about the effect muggle drugs had on her.

'You and that Lovegood girl got something going on, Draco?'

As Draco rounded the corner he forced himself to keep walking and resisted the urge to smash Theodore Nott's ugly pig-like face into the wall beside him. To his annoyance, he heard the sound of Nott's footsteps following him.

'Is that why you're always lying awake at night? You thinking about he-'

Draco's fist made contact with Nott's face so quickly his sentence remained unfinished. As Theodore struggled to his feet, blood dripping from his nose, he sneered.

'In denial, Malfoy?'

You could almost see the hatred radiating from Draco as he seized the jeering boy by his robes. He tensed as he felt a presence appear behind him.

'Nott? What has happened to your nose?' Snape's slimy voice crept into Draco's ear and throwing Theodore with enough force to send him stumbling backwards, he marched away, turning to Snape as he left.

'He walked into the wall, Professor.'

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><p><strong>Apologies for the shortness of the chapter. I've just started college so I'm just about getting into the swing of things and working around homework is tough.<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

Draco shut the door of the room of requirement and began to march as quickly away from it as he could, looking back over his shoulder to check no-one had seen him leave. Of course, looking over your shoulder whilst walking is never a clever thing to do as Draco quickly found out. With neither of the two parties watching where they were going, the inevitable happened.

They hit with a dull thud. Draco being the taller of the two knocked Luna backwards, she wobbled for a second and then as if in slow motion, Draco watched as she began to fall backwards, grabbing his arm in an attempt to steady herself and pulling him catastrophically onto the floor with her. Their heads made an odd 'clonk' sound as they banged together and instinctively Draco reached up to rub where the pain was now shooting across his forehead.

'What's that on your arm? Is it a tattoo? Are wizards getting them too?'

Draco gasped, leaping back as Luna's face seemed to be much nearer than it had been a second ago and realised too late that his shirt sleeve had slipped up his arm. Pulling it down, he looked around to see who was in the corridor. If people were around they would come to their own conclusions about what had just happened and unlike Luna, they would probably have the common sense to realise that it wasn't a tattoo on his arm. As for the... interesting way in which they had fallen; he had been caught in worse situations with girls before now. There was only a tiny Hufflepuff first year who, after one look from Draco, scuttled away as though his life depended on it.

'Do they hurt? Should I get one? Do all the cool people have them?'

Luna continued to babble as Draco frantically searched for a hiding place. Letting her continue to chatter, Draco grabbed Luna's wrist, ignoring her cries of pain, he pulled her to her feet and almost dragged her back towards the room of requirement. Hoping with all his strength that he would somehow manage to think about what he wanted.

Once inside a now almost empty room, Draco half threw her onto one of the only items of furniture in there, a large, red, plush sofa. He threw her with such force she seemed to bounce as she landed on the seat. For once, she appeared to be speechless.

'Merlin, Luna. For a Ravenclaw you really are thick.'

His eyebrows knitted together as he watched a grin spread across her face. She really was insane.

'What are you grinning at, lunatic?'

'You called me Luna. Does that mean I can call you Draco now?'

'Don't even try it.'

Luna seemed to consider her wording for second as she scanned the room. Her eyes resting at a point just over Draco's left shoulder.

'This room really is incredible.. what were you thinking?'

Draco turned around awkwardly. Without a word, he found his eyes wandering to the large four poster bed at the other side of the room.

Then, as only Luna Lovegood could, she misjudged and understood completely at the same time.

'Merlin, Draco. You really must be tired.'

And for once, Draco forgot to correct her.

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><p><strong>Huzzah! Two chapters in two days! Please, please, pleeeeeeease review! :D<strong>


	5. Chapter 5

Draco felt himself smirking inside, although the weight pressing down on his mind prevented the expression from reaching his face. His reputation for being a womaniser around Hogwarts was well known and no matter how dim witted Lovegood pretended to be, Draco had figured that she wasn't as naive as she first seemed. He had seem the thought pass across her eyes as she noticed the bed but then she had looked at him. She had looked past his image and figured out the one thing he really needed: Sleep.

'Maybe it's not sleep I wanted, Lovegood. How would you know?'

He sat down beside her expecting her to squeal, squirm or otherwise act in disgust and/or sheer joy. To his immense disappointment she did nothing.

'No, it's sleep. You were nearly falling asleep at breakfast this morning. I saw that fat boy nudge you when Dumbledore told us the notices.'

She turned to smile at him.

'If it's nightmares, I read about a charm that can get rid of them. If I just go and get my Quibbler I could-'

She got up and made as if to leave but Draco gripped her arm and pulled her back down beside him.

'You're going nowhere, Lovegood.'

'But I was-'

'Do you think I'm going to let you run straight to Scar-face, Mudblood and Weasel. No, you're staying here, Loony.'

Luna had no reply to that and sat awkwardly swinging her legs as she sat on the sofa. There was a deathly silence in the room and Luna could only stare at the floor and wait. She could feel Draco's eyes on her and it was starting to make her feel uncomfortable. At last the silence became unbearable and Luna began to do what she always did when there was no-one to talk to- she spoke aloud.

'I hope Katie's alright. It mustn't be nice to be cursed. I hope they find out who did it. Harry thinks it was you but Dumbledore doesn't believe him. Can I go yet?'

Draco didn't answer, he just sat watching the babbling blonde, his expression stony. At this Luna stood up and turned to face him, leaning over so that their eyes were level.

'Draco? Can I go now?'

When he didn't answer Luna turned to leave. She was about to walk away when Draco spoke.

'Why do you want to know who did it?'

Luna spun on her heels and thought for a minute, her forehead scrunching in her thought.

'So I can stop them from doing anything bad again. I know they didn't want to do it. Who would want to hurt Katie?' She smiled, seeming to be talking to herself rather than Draco.

'But why would you want to help them? They used an unforgivable curse on a student.'

Luna looked at Draco, her eyes serious.

'Nothing is ever unforgivable. Some things just take longer to forgive than others.'

And with that she stepped out and shut the door behind her.

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><p><strong>Not my best chapter I know but oh well. I've tried my best to keep them in character but I think I may have wavered a bit in this chapter.. I'm not sure.<strong>

**Now to say thanks to all my reviewers! They really do make me happy. College is amazing and I'm loving every second of it. Next chapter will be uploaded tomorrow or possibly tonight. **


	6. Chapter 6

Luna's eyes fluttered open. As her world began to come into focus, she realised three things. First of all, she wasn't in her bedroom anymore. There was no way that many books could have appeared in her room overnight. Secondly, it wasn't morning yet. The light was still unnatural. And thirdly...

Luna gasped, rolled straight off Draco's knee and onto the floor. He rolled his eyes, stood up, brushed himself down as though to rid himself of any trace of her, picked up the book next to him, and began to read, his feet slouched on the arm of the chair.

'About time you woke up. I've been most uncomfortable for the past hour.'

Luna was still sat on the floor as she realised to her embarrassment that she must have sleepwalked again.

'If I could just ask, what did I-'

Draco snapped the book he was reading closed and swivelled himself round so both his feet were firmly on the ground. He leaned forwards, his face close to hers, obviously enjoying her shame.

'You marched in here, walked straight up to me, sat on me and went to sleep. I really had no idea you were that attracted to me, Loony.' Draco smirked at the horrified expression on Luna's face. Standing up, he began to walk back towards the bookselves to return his book to the right place. For the first time, Luna began to wonder what Draco was doing in the library at this time of night. He was in complete disarray. His shirt was unbuttoned and his tie hung around his neck. His hair was sticking up at odd angles as though he had been running his fingers through it and his face was pale. He turned to stare at her.

'Looks like we're even now. You don't tell my secret, I won't tell yours.'

Luna was about to reply when Draco suddenly tensed.

'Did you hear that?'

Luna looked puzzled but after a moment she too felt a stab of alarm at the sound but it soon faded.

As the footsteps drew closer, Draco began to panic.

'Come on, Lovegood! You're a Ravenclaw. You're meant to be clever. Find a way for us to hide.'

Luna seemed completely unconcerned by the fact she was about to be caught in the library, with Draco Malfoy at two in the morning and looked around the room in a daydream.

'I'm not a Hufflepuff, you know. I'm not good at finding things...'

Draco only had a second to look confused before he heard the sound of the door handle turning. Finally, Luna seemed to look at least a little bit worried.

'The library is big. We'll just need to make sure we're not in the same place as Mr Filch is.'

Draco looked unsure but decided since it was the only idea available, it would have to do. They scooted around the bookselves, trying their best to avoid being anywhere near Filch at all times. Doubling back on themselves, they made a final mad dash for the door. Both their hands closed on the handle at the same time but there was little time for awkwardness. They were soon out in the hallway a sprinting for all they were worth. As Draco heard Filch screaming behind them, he grabbed Luna's wrist and pulled her quickly into a nearby classroom. For a moment, both of them searched round the room for a hiding place. As Draco looked from one side of the room to the next, his eyes fell on the stock cupboard.

It would have to do.

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><p><strong>AVPM reference in there! I just couldn't resist xD Please review!<strong>


	7. Chapter 7

Closing the door behind them and using his wand to give them some light, Draco prayed that Luna would not ask him how he knew that this stock cupboard was always open. He wasn't about to explain what he and Pansy had got up to during his fifth year.

Thankfully she didn't but the silence was almost as bad. Having managed to inspect every inch of the stock cupboard intently, Draco finally let his eyes stray to Luna. She was watching the door with the kind of fear you'd usually associate with being chased by a werewolf or dementor, not an angry caretaker.

'Don't worry, Lovegood. Filch hardly ever comes in here.'

As soon as he had finished speaking he regretted sounding so confident. There was no mistaking the sound of a door opening. Draco tensed but Luna was so surprised she jumped and lost her balance. Rather than have her fall into the self of potion bottles and have her reveal their hiding place, Draco reached for her just as she reached for him. Although her hands were gripping his upper arms so tightly Draco could feel his blood leaving them, Luna continued to be unsteady. Cursing Filch for ever putting him in this position, Draco pulled Luna closer so that her entire weight was being supported by him.

'Don't think that this means anything, Lovegood.' He practically spat the words as he tried to ignore the feeling of her breath against his bare chest.

'Don't worry, Draco. I wouldn't know what it meant even if it did mean something.'

For the first time since he had started Hogwarts that year, Draco found himself smiling. It was as though nothing outside of this stock cupboard existed.

'I know you're in here so I'm just going to sit right here until you come out.'

Draco let out a slight chuckle. The absurdity of the situation had finally hit him.

He was shut, in a stock cupboard, with Loony Lovegood, with Filch waiting outside when he should be trying to murder the headmaster of Hogwarts.

As he felt Luna's head move he looked down to look at her. It was only when she grinned at him that he realised he was still similing.

'You know, you're quite handsome when you smile. Not dreamy, prince charming handsome. But handsome all the same.'

Draco looked at her, trying to work out if her compliment had actually been a compliment at all.

'Don't expect me to say anything nice back. I'm not the type to sink to flattery.'

Luna nodded her head and gently took a single step back, releasing the hold that Draco had on her. To her surprise, he shook his head and instead tightened his hold.

'I'm not about to let your inability to stand like a normal human being get us caught, Lovegood.'

'But you don't need to hold me so tight. Really, I'll be fine.'

Inside, Draco scowled. He was starting to get bored and last time he was bored in this stock cupboard, Pansy had been all too willing to entertain him. He doubted Luna would be as willing. But still, that didn't mean he couldn't make his own fun.

'But surely you don't mind me holding you so tight, since you think I'm handsome.'

His eyes bore into Luna's and he smirked as he saw her look uncomfortable. But then, as only Luna could do, she changed the subject as if nothing had happened.

'Why were you in the library?'

'Couldn't sleep.' Draco knew he had answered too fast but forced himself to look unconcerned.

'Aren't you tired?' As if she had been asking herself, Luna let out a yawn that seemed to take her by surprise.

Realising himself how tired he actually was, Draco opened the stock cupboard door just enough to reveal Filch sat, alert at one of the desks in the classroom.

Sighing, he closed the door again.

'Looks like we'll be sleeping in here.'

Where most girls would have either giggled or freaked out at the thought of sleeping with Draco Malfoy in a stock cupboard, Luna merely nodded.

'Alright.'

A few moments later neither of them had moved but Draco could feel Luna growing heavier in his arms as lack of sleep began to have an effect. Half carrying her, half walking her, Draco managed to manoeuvre her so that she was sat on the floor. She was still awake but only just and her eyes were starting to close. Sitting down next to her he resisted the urge to sneer as she shuffled closer to him. In here there was no-one but him and Luna and she wasn't about to judge him.

'You don't have to work for him you know.'

Luna's voice was so heavy with sleep, it was difficult to understand.

'What did you say?'

Luna sat up and as she spoke she suddenly seemed wide awake again. She looked him straight in the eye.

'You don't have to follow Voldemort. That's what's keeping you from sleeping. You're worrying about whatever he wants you to do.'

Draco could barely speak. 'You're wrong.'

But Luna shook her head, turning her head so their faces were level.

'I'm right. Because you're scared. And you're not scared of Snape or Dumbledore or nightmares so that only leaves You-know-who. And you don't have to work for him because the good guys will win in the end.'

Their faces were almost touching but Draco was too astounded to notice. How was it that Luna had figured him out so easily whilst no-one else had?

'Well Goodnight.'

And then she shut her eyes and Draco wondered if she'd actually been sleep talking.

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><p><strong>Really long chapter. Probably just because I enjoyed writing it so much. Things are starting to get interesting now... If you liked it, please review!<strong>


	8. Chapter 8

Luna felt the ground beneath her begin to shake as a wave of thunder shattered the world around her. The wind was howling and it seemed to be calling her name. It was misty too but as the mist slowly began to clear, the world began to evolve into a different picture.

'For the love of Merlin, Lovegood. I swear if you don't wake up I will leave you here to rot.'

Luna blinked a couple of times and smiled at the sneering face in front of her.

'I don't think I'd mind that. I was quite comfortable in here actually.'

Draco released his grip on her shoulders roughly and stood up, peering through the crack in the door.

'You really are disgusting. Willing to sleep on stock cupboard floors like those pathetic homeless squibs.'

'It's alright, I'm getting up now.' Even in the limited light given by his wand, Draco could see Luna smiling. He rolled his eyes and went back to squinting through the crack. It was too early in the morning to be that happy.

As he had hoped, Filch was snoring contentedly to himself. Easing the door open, Draco hesitantly stepped into the classroom. Gingerly he took another step, his confidence building as Filch continued to snore. Reaching the door, he turned to see Luna just a few steps behind him. She had a certain expression of glee that told Draco she didn't get out much. Shoving his hands in his pockets he marched down the corridor, hunting for a staircase that would take him to the dungeons, the Slytherin Common-room and safety. He could hear the patter of Luna trying to catch up with him and scowled. He just couldn't seem to lose her. He was about to turn round and tell her to stop following him when he heard a door slam shut.

The noise caused Draco to stop dead in his tracks. He felt the weight on his back and heard a soft 'oh' as Luna walked straight into him. Looking both ways, Draco came to the conclusion that there was nowhere to hide. As Snape rounded the corner, Draco breathed a half-hearted sigh of relief. Being a death-eater was almost a good thing when you could wind school professors around your finger.

Snape walked towards them and Draco felt Luna shrink behind him as though to hide. Snape regarded him with raised eyebrows.

'Mr Malfoy...' as he saw Luna his eyebrows raised even more. 'And Miss Lovegood.'

He paused as Luna emerged from behind Draco. His expression was one of slight and mocking wonder. Neither of the two blondes were looking their best. Lack of sleep and confined space did not look good on either of them. He rolled up his sleeves and gave them his hardest stare.

'I presume there is a good explanation.' He met Draco's eyes and after waiting in complete silence for an answer he cleared his throat.

'Miss Lovegood, you will report for detention with me every day for the rest of this week. Now return to your dorm and kindly let me speak to Mr Malfoy alone.'

Luna looked wide eyed at Snape before following his instructions and skipping down the corridor back to the Ravenclaw common-room.

'Kindly conduct your inter-house recreational activities in the time assigned for them.'

Draco fixed Snape with his darkest glare.

'I do not need you to say anything to me. What I do with my time is none of your business; no matter what deal you made with my mother.'

Snape met Draco's eyes with only a faint glimmer of annoyance.

'You will of course join Miss Lovegood in detention. Where I expect a...' He paused to put emphasis on the next part of his sentence. 'full explanation of what I have just witnessed.'

Draco scowled and marched away without looking back. After being stuck in a cupboard with her for a night, he felt that he had had more than a lifetime's worth of Loony Lovegood. Detention was not what he needed.

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><p><strong>I'm sorry for not updating! Things have just been completely manic at my house at the moment so fanfiction had to kind of take a back seat. I know it's not the best of chapters but the detention should be fun to do. I really hope I'm managing to keep them in character, I'm trying my best. <strong>

**Oh if you've got time, please could you read my Draco Malfoy / Katie Bell fanfiction?  
>It's only a oneshot and no-one's reviewed it which makes me quite upset. So if you're interested, please read and review it. It's called 'A fine line' Thanks!<strong>


	9. Chapter 9

Draco marched into the potions classroom, slamming his books down on the desk Snape gestured towards and glaring straight at the wall in front of him. Luna was already sat looking worriedly around the room and Snape was looking as though he was enjoying their discomfort immensely.

Snape let the silence continue just long enough to make Luna feel extremely uncomfortable and, pulling his cloak around him in an almost snake-like motion, he fixed them both with his most piercing stare.

'I presume there is a most satisfactory explanation as to why the pair of you were running down the corridor at half five in the morning in... disarray.'

Luna opened her mouth to say something but gasped and choked on her words as she felt a sharp kick on her shin. One glare from the blonde slytherin and Luna completely forgot what she was about to say.

Snape cleared his throat impatiently, looking from one blonde to the other.

'Nothing?'

The tone of his voice told Draco that silence was exactly what Snape had been expecting which also meant he'd had time to plan his punishment. He glanced at Luna who was looking at her hands, her eyebrows burrowed together in an almost comical expression of worry and then back at Snape, challenging him to do his worst.

'I think lines are in order. You and miss Lovegood, mr Malfoy, will remain in here and copy this.'

With a quick tap of his wand, several neatly scrawled words appeared on the chalk board behind him. Draco read them and scowled.

'How many times, proffessor?'

'As long as it takes for the message to sink in. Begin.'

As the two blondes picked up their quills, Snape stood up and began to walk towards the door. With a final glare of apparent loathing, he swept out the room.

His footsteps had barely died away before Draco was out of his seat he was about to turn and leave but Luna's voice made him stop.

'You won't be able to leave. The room will be enchanted or something. Proffessor Snape wouldn't leave the room if we could just get up and leave.'

Draco comtemplated for a moment before regretfully coming to the conclusion that she was probably right and sitting back down again.

'This is all your fault, Lovegood.'

Luna shrugged, dipping her quill in ink and beginning to write.

'Actually, I think we're both equally to blame.'

Draco looked as though he had just swallowed a fly.

'I'm a Slytherin, we DON'T take the blame for anything.'

Luna just seemed to ignore his distaste, writing as though her life depended on it.

'I've noticed that.'

There was a long but not awkward silence as Luna scribbled away frantically whilst Draco forced himself to pluck up the motivation to write a word every few seconds. Draco had just filled a whole page with his neat, half-hearted writing when he felt Luna staring at him.

He opened his mouth to tell her to stop but she got there first.

'Draco, you won't tell anyone about...'

'I have a reputation, Lovegood. I would rather eat boggart vomit.'

A slight lobsided smile slid across Luna's face.

'Thank you.'

Draco put down his quill and turned to look at her smiling face, his eyes cold.

'I'm not doing it for you, Loony.'

'I know, but I'm grateful anyway.'

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><p><strong>I know this is not a good chapter but I promise there will be another one coming very soon. I have quite a few already written, I just need to write the ones in between them. Sorry for the wait ^^<strong>


	10. Chapter 10

It was getting late. Judging by the warm glow of the sun escaping through the tiny windows in the potions room, it was well into the evening. Draco had been paying little attention to what was going on around him and only realised that Luna was no longer writing when the steady sound of snoring blew through the air.

Looking at the sleeping Ravenclaw, he prayed a silent prayer of thanks to whoever it was that had caused her to fall asleep. For the entire afternoon he had listened to her hum strange and tuneless songs to herself as she wrote. It was the third afternoon so far that Draco had spent writing lines and he was starting to fear for his sanity. He had finally realised the reasoning behind Snape's punishment.

It had nothing to do with torturing Draco by boredom. It was simply the matter of wasting time. Time spent securely in the potions room writing lines was time not spent working out how to kill Dumbledore. But Draco was determined to prove his worth as a death-eater and he wasn't about to let his insomnia and Luna Lovegood be the root of him failing his task.

Looking over at the snoozing Ravenclaw, he reached the conclusion that he preferred her when she was asleep. Even in sleep she was smiling and Draco was convinced he had heard her laugh a few moments ago. It was odd, but in the low light, her blonde sleeping head seemed to glow warmly. She looked so serene, Draco couldn't help but wonder what it was like to have nothing to care or worry about. Sat alone in the potions room with her, it was almost as if her peace was contagioius.

As if a signal that she was about to wake, Luna let out a contented sigh but Draco didn't move. Even as her eyes began to flutter open, he could not tear his eyes away from her peaceful expression. He wanted to hold onto that feeling of nothingness for a little bit longer.

Her eyes remained in a daze as they met his, then all too suddenly they realised what was in front of them and their expression turned to one of confusion.

Draco felt his reality crash down on him harder than a ton of bricks. The fear, pain and exhaustion came back all at once and at the same time it occurred to him that perhaps he needed to stay away from Lovegood.

'Draco, what's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost.'

'I've spent an hour in a room with you, Lovegood. It's ten times worse.'

In one movement, he stood up, scooped up his books and began to walk out of the room. Luna followed slowly, her movements still uncoordinated from sleep.

As she walked past, Draco's desk, she glanced down at the paper he had been writing on.

'Oh, you haven't written much, have you? Did you fall asleep too?'

Draco ignored the question but inside he felt slightly sick. Because for the first time this year, he had felt as though he could sleep. He had felt relaxed and at peace and this was because of Luna. He was panicing because Draco Malfoy had sworn he was not going to rely on anyone, not even a crackpot like Luna Lovegood.

So once again, he ignored the words the two of them had been writing for the past three days.

'I must not withhold information.'

* * *

><p><strong>Ok, a bit better now, I quite like this chapter. Again, I hope they're not out of character but if they are I'm sorry. Please review if you like it!<strong>


	11. Chapter 11

Draco had decided. He was running out of the one thing he didn't have: Time. It was all well and good using his detention as a chance to catch up on sleep but he had more important things to do. He needed a way to get out of detention without revealing that he was losing sleep over his mission to Snape. The Malfoys were a proud family and Draco was no exception. Under no circumstances did he want to be seen as weak in front of his 'competition'.

But in order for his story to be plausible, he needed Luna. No doubt Snape would want their stories separately to be sure so they needed to agree on what had 'happened'.

His eyes scanning the main hall, he soon found Luna. She was explaining one of her many theories on how grasshoppers would someday run fast food restaurants to a half asleep Cho Chang and nibbling on a chocolate covered doughnut at the same time, sprinkles stuck to her nose. Concluding that his plan would work as long as she didn't suddenly grow a brain, Draco left the hall and waited for her.

She soon came skipping down the corridor, wand behind ear and head on another planet. With no-one around, Draco simply stepped in front of her path from the shadows making his expression look formidable. She stopped mid hop, balancing precariously on one leg as she looked him up and down.

'Draco? What's wrong?' She gave a final wobble before placing her right foot firmly on the ground. Draco opened his mouth to reply when he heard the unmistakable whine of Pansy's voice. She was the last person at Hogwarts he wanted to know that he was on speaking terms with Loony Lovegood. She'd make his life more like hell than it already was.

He grabbed Luna and pulled her into the nearest classroom, shutting the door behind him with a bang. Only when they were stood still did he realise that he hadn't grabbed her wrist as he'd intended. He'd miscalculated and now he was stood in an empty classroom, holding hands with a gob smacked Loony Lovegood. He relaxed his hand, letting hers fall to her side and turned to announce his intentions.

'I need to get out of detention.'

Luna seemed to still be in shock from his stupid mistake as she replied.

'Do you really need to or do you just want to? I suppose I'm not good company so it's understandable. You do seem to fall asleep a lot.' she trailed off dizzily.

'It's none of your business.'

Luna smiled at this comment. 'I suppose not. I was just being curious, it's a trait my mum gave me, I guess. Is that why you're always so private, do you get that off your parents?'

Draco began to bubble at this comment. He was planning on being civil so that this whole encounter would be over more quickly but it seemed Luna was not in a cooperative mood.

'My parents don't control any part of me.'

'Alright, I believe you.' Luna walked towards him, leaning on the desk nonchalantly, her right foot tapping to some silent beat. 'So how do you suggest we get out of detention?'

Draco clenched his fist, his frustration building. Placing one hand on the desk on either side of Luna, he looked her straight in the eye.

'Don't patronise me, Lovegood.'

Luna seemed unbothered by the sudden closeness, meeting his eyes challengingly.

'Actually, I don't really think I can help you.'

* * *

><p><strong>I know, bit of an odd place to stop but I just felt I really should update. I'm up to my eyeballs in work at the moment with exams coming up in January so I'll updated as quickly as I can. Thank you for your patience!<strong>


	12. Chapter 12

Draco glared back at her.

'What did you say?'

Luna shrugged, knocking his arm and slipping past the shocked Slytherin.

'I don't see why I should. If you had told the truth we wouldn't be in detention.'

She had barely taken a step before she felt Draco's grip on her wrist. He pulled her roughly towards him, leaning in so close as he spoke, Luna could feel his breath on her face.

'I said, don't patronise me.'

Luna looked thoughtfully at the face of her captor. 'You're very full of yourself, you know. But I think you're hiding something. I can see, in your eyes. They're all fuzzy like you've swallowed nargles.'

Draco released Luna's wrist like it had burst into flames, stepping back and looking at her as though she was something disgusting he had just trodden in. In one look the polite front was gone, leaving only the quick witted tormentor behind.

'You're as crazy as they come, Lovegood. With your nargles and your scribbler, you deserve to be locked up in St Mungo's with the other mental cases.' As his insults flowed, he stepped towards her, forcing her to walk backwards. 'I hear there's a nice bed next to Frank Longbottom. You'd better take it quick before you go the same way as your mother. Blown to pieces wasn't she?' His hand snapped up to catch Luna's as it flew towards his face.

'Going to slap me, were you? Really, Lovegood, you ought to know better. You're one of the good guys, remember?'

Luna struggled to release her hand but Draco only tightened his hold, his eyes sparkling with malice.

'Or maybe miss dolly-daydream isn't quite as innocent as she seems? I suppose a girl with such an open attitude would be up for anything. Been sneaking off to the room of requirement with Potter, have we? Well that would make an interesting rumour.'

Luna's eyes grew wide as she realised what Draco was implying.

'The boy who lived and the resident lunatic. Has a certain ring to it, doesn't it? I bet the daily prophet would pay a lot for that story. Wouldn't look too good for Potter would it? And I'd love to see the expression on the Weasley girl's face when she read it.'

Luna stopped struggling and felt her legs go weak.

'You're blackmailing me.'

'That's right, Lovegood. Perhaps you do have a brain.'

Draco released her wrist and Luna let it drop to her side.

'What do you want me to tell Snape?'

Draco smirked. 'That's more like it, Lovegood.'

* * *

><p><strong>Short an sweet. This was quite fun to write, I like writing the bully side of Draco. It's entertaining. <strong>

**Thank you everyone who's reviewed and I promise to update as soon as I can. One week 'til christmas! Yay!**


	13. Chapter 13

'And is that the absolute truth, Miss Lovegood?' Snape's glare was particularly piercing although it seemed to be aimed more at Draco than Luna.

'Yes, sir.'

If there was one thing Luna Lovegood was bad at, it was lying and yet, Snape was somehow willing to believe her unbelievable story. Luna felt herself cringing as he repeated it back to her.

'Miss Lovegood had been...' he paused, raising his eyebrows questioningly and inside Luna resisted the urge to laugh that the true part of the story was the part Snape found unbelievable. '...sleepwalking and Mr Malfoy had been _kind_ enough to follow her and make sure that she did not harm herself. And you were just on your way back to your dorms when I ran into you.'

Luna began to nod furiously not meeting his eyes. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Draco's expression of despair at her pathetic excuse for acting.

'Is that correct, Mr Malfoy?'

A smirk replaced the despair as Draco replied. 'It is, Professor.'

Snape's expressionless face almost seemed to betray his disgust as his pointed to the door.

'You may go.'

Luna scurried out of the room, followed by Draco, a familiar swagger back in his step. As they walked away, the petty side of Draco started the insults without thinking.

'Not too bad, Lovegood. But don't ever consider acting.'

'Blackmailers can't be choosers.' Luna retorted, her annoyance emerging through her wit.

'It's nothing personal. It had to be done.'

Luna stopped short. 'Or we could have just told the truth. We weren't doing anything wrong.'

Draco turned, a peculiar look in his eyes. 'Speak for yourself, Lovegood.'

And he left Luna trying to decide if his expression had been angry or upset and what reason he had for being either of the two things.

* * *

><p>Rumours had started, been spread and then they had been dismissed either by Draco's fist or Luna's quiet disbelieving laughter. They had soon died out as December arrived and there was talk of Slughorn's Christmas party and plans being made for over Christmas. Luna had joined in with the chatter but a part of her was always keeping watch on Draco. She had heard Harry's theories and although Harry was probably her friend and she could trust him, she couldn't help but feel Harry's grudge against Draco, might be stopping him from seeing the whole picture.<p>

She often saw him walking in the forbidden forest when she was out feeding the thestrals. He never noticed her, he always seemed too deep in thought. But Luna had seen him and she was noticing that each time she saw him, his walk was slower and his expressions were becoming more and more thoughtful as though his thoughts were exhausting him.

Draco Malfoy was hiding something and Luna had reached the conclusion that sometimes, curiosity had it's benefits.

* * *

><p><strong>I've got quite a few chapters already written. The hardest thing I'm finding with writing this is trying to keep within the major events of the book. I don't usually write around books, I usually write before or after them so this is a real challenge. I hope you are enjoying it so far. The next chapter will be up later tonight and once exams and my pantomime performances are all done, I should be able to spend more time writing.<strong>

**Thank you to everyone who reviews, it's so lovely to feel appreciated. x**


	14. Chapter 14

Luna pushed open the door to the room of requirement. She had seen Draco enter it earlier but she couldn't help wondering why it didn't disappear when she walked towards it, like it should do.

'Draco?'

Luna walked through the junk filled room, following the sounds of movement to where she assumed would be Draco. He leapt up when he saw her, dropping something in his haste. Luna didn't have chance to see what it was before Draco had pulled her away.

'How did you get in here? No-one should be able to get in.' The fear was evident in his voice but Luna chose to pretend she couldn't hear it.

He released her arm and watched as She surveyed the room, her fingers running along the ridges of dressers and tracing the pattern on an old rusting mirror.

'Maybe it figured out that I had something you required? This room is very clever you know.'

Marching towards her, Draco removed her hand from the mirror and pulled her to look at him, his voice menacing.

'What could you possibly have that I would need?'

Luna looked to be about to say something but she paused, her mouth still half open. Draco watched her puzzled expression as she seemed to study his face for a moment.

'What are you looking at me like that for, Loony?'

Hesitantly, Luna's free hand reached upwards. With her index finger she gently touched Draco's cheek.

'Draco, have you been crying?'

Draco seemed to contemplate denying the obvious for a moment but seemed to decide against it. He dropped Luna's arm and gestured towards the door.

'Get out, Lovegood.'

Luna ignored him and continued to wander around the junk filled room.

'What are you doing in here?' Draco's eyes followed her every move.

'I'm looking for something.'

'Anything in particular?'

'I'll know when I've found it.'

Luna paused beside a large object covered with a sheet.

'You dropped something when I came in, what was it?'

Draco paused next to her, his eyes following hers.

'Do you always as this many questions?' his voice had a kind of relaxed tone, different to the one he had previously used with her.

'Are your answers always this ambiguous?' Their eyes met and Draco noticed that despite it being the first time they had met since the detention incident, her expression was kind.

Being so lost in his thoughts, he had forgotten what Luna had asked so to cover he turned and pulled at the sheet covering the large object in front of them.

Luna's gasp caused him to look away as the sheet fell. He watched her walk forwards as though she was in a trance. Only when she reached out to touch it did Draco realise he had found what he had been looking for.

Luna was running her fingers over the patterns, a distant smile on her face.

'It's beautiful.'

'Yes', Draco replied, a heavy feeling growing in his stomach. 'It is.'


	15. Chapter 15

'I've never been to this part of the castle, at least no while awake. I sleep walk you see. That's why I wear shoes to bed.'

Draco glanced up as Luna and Harry headed to Slughorns party. The Carrow twins had been gabbling about what they were going to wear all day and most of the Slytherins had decided that the safest option was to avoid the common room until they were actually at the party.

They had passed by only a few moments later and Draco had raised his eyebrows at their attire and soon drifted back into his thoughts. His daydream had vanished as he spotted Luna. For once she seemed to have made some effort with her appearance. Her hair was tamed and tidy and silver glitter sparkled around her eyes. Her dress was strange and reminded Draco in the moment her saw it of a muggle space ship he had once seen when he was a child. Dangling around her jaw were a pair of enormous sparkle shaped earrings which could probably have been used as a lethal weapon, should the need have arisen.

His analysis had taken less than a second and it was only when the couple had passed that a sense of irritation had descended. Although he wasn't quite sure why. He hadn't spoken to Luna since they had parted ways after she had discovered the vanishing cabinet.. He almost resented the fact that she had found it. He had promised himself that he could be independent, and prove for once that he was no longer a weak little boy and he had already had assistance from someone, even is he hadn't asked for it.

But in a way he had to thank her. He had been behind up until that point. And Draco was ready to run his first test on the vanishing cabinet. With students out and about after dark it was entirely possible to just blend in. An owl had been sent to his home and his mother was waiting in Borgin and Burkes, ready to assist him.

Yes, things were going quite well for Draco. A smirk crept about his lips as he got up. All his life he had tried to prove to his father that his was not worthless. His plan to befriend Potter had failed, as had his attempts to be the best in his subjects, the mudblood had seen to that. Now with his father locked in Azkaban, Draco had the perfect opportunity to prove his worth by aiding the death-eaters and so saving his father by returning their family to favour.

Reaching the room of requirement he closed his eyes and told himself to focus.

He was not going to fail.

He couldn't fail.

He entered the room, tossing the apple he had smuggled from dinner but he couldn't stop his stomach from churning.

Because no matter how hard he tried to keep the voice from emerging, in the back of his brain there was the sound of his mother as she had cried to her sister on the night his mission was given to him.

'If he fails, He'll kill him. Voldemort will kill him! My husband is gone, I can't lose Draco, Bella.'

But Draco had already made his decision.

He was not going to fail.

* * *

><p><strong>I've had half of this chapter written for so long but I just got complete writers block. It was so annoying! I'll be speedy with the next chapter, I promise!<strong>


	16. Chapter 16

Luna had left the party when Harry had disappeared. She liked parties but this one had given her a lot to think about and she couldn't do that with a lot of people around.

She marched up the stairs to the astronomy tower, her shoes gripped tightly in her hand. She could feel the cold stone through the material of her tights but she plodded on, her feet growing more icy with every step. As she reached the top she slowed to a stop. Someone else had stolen her thinking spot and by the silhouette she could tell straight away who it was stood in her place, looking blankly at the stars. She walked over, speaking as she drew level with him. He barely noticed her, a distant, thoughtful expression on his face.

'You shouldn't have done that you know, gate crashed I mean. It was very rude'

Draco ignored her statement.

'So did you have fun with scarface? You make a good couple.'

'Yeah, it was fun, there were interesting people there. I was talking about something quite fascinating when you barged in actually.'

Draco's elbows were resting on the railing, his hands clasped together as though he was praying. His head turned sharply in Luna's direction, irritation but not malice in his eyes.

'Do you think I really care what you were talking about at that pompous old man's party?' He spat the last word so violently Luna felt herself jolt slightly.

'I don't think you care about anything right now. You're thinking about something difficult and sad, I can see it from the way you're standing.'

As if to prove her wrong, Draco stood up to his full height and walked away from the railing. Luna turned and let her eyes follow him as he walked. Abruptly he stopped and looked at her, a dark look in one eye that Luna could only describe as crazy.

'I bet you've never had to prove yourself, have you, Loony?'

'I don't think so, n-' she stopped as she realised the question was probably rehtorical.

'Even as a little child, I was never good enough. Never smart enough, never perfect enough for my father to be proud. My mother loved me but there was no pride, I wasn't worth anything. After all love is worth nothing in the end. It gets you nowhere.' He gathered himself for a second and Luna realised that he could no longer see her. That the Draco she was seeing now was never meant to be seen by anyone.

'But just in one moment I got given the chance to prove to everyone that had ever doubted or laughed at me that I am not a waste of oxygen. And so many people are trying to steal the glory from me. Out of everyone, I was the one trusted enough, valued enough to be given such a task and...'

He seemed to wake up and finally see the small wide eyed blonde girl in front of him. He looked confused and then a little scared.

'Why am I even telling you this?'

Luna turned, and Draco saw the intelligence that had put her in Ravenclaw glisten in her eyes.

'To share the responsibility, to convince yourself that you're right, to get it off your chest. There's lots of reasons but they all come down to one thing.'

She took a final few steps towards the stairs, one hand on the handrail as she finished her speech.

'You don't want the glory. You've just convinced yourself you so. There's another reason why you're doing this, which would explain why it's fear rather than determination I see in your eyes.'

She took a step only for her eyes to meet level with Draco's wand.

'You mention this to anyone...'

Luna looked up, her eyes almost seemed to be laughing.

'I know, worst nightmares. Merry Christmas, Draco. I'll see you next year.'

It was a strange feeling, but a part of Draco hoped he did see Luna next year.

* * *

><p><strong>Huzzah! I've made it to christmas! The next part should be a bit more interesting. If there's any situations or ideas you'd like to see happen please tell me in reviews or PM, I'm always welcome to ideas, they're helpful when writers block takes hold.<strong>

**Also, I know this is a bit cheeky but could I ask anyone who has facebook to maybe check out the 'I am a person therefore I must be stereotyped' page. It is a project being run by one of my friends which I am involved in, trying to stop people from labelling each other. **

**There's some great pictures on there as well so please have a look! Thank you!**


	17. Chapter 17

Draco boarded the train and immediately looked for the first empty compartment. He was in no mood to deal with stupid questions and trivial talk about holidays. And most of all he could not be dealing with Pansy pawing at him for the whole journey. He had received enough owls from her over the holiday to build a satisfyingly sized bonfire which Draco had set fire to the evening before he had left.

He had plans to be making. The vanishing cabinet was working well, phase apple had gone according to plan and now it was just simply testing its capability with living things. And of course there was that slight issue of a certain headmaster still walking the-

Draco stopped mid thought to glare at the Ravenclaws glancing through the compartment window. They scampered away, a couple of them giggling. Draco rolled his eyes, taking a certain amount of pleasure in imagining their blissful faces as they learned that he was not to be trifled with.

He was just at the point of imagining how Potter would seethe at the news when the same gaggle of voices clattered through his daydreams.

He glanced up, barely taking in the shapes of the same group of Ravenclaws that had passed earlier. It was only when he heard a familiar airy voice as she defended herself that Draco paid attention.

He listened and found himself getting annoyed at the pettiness of their complaints and Luna's lack of response.

She was too blunt and too strange. They called her Loony or warped, insulted her father, her mother.. the list went on and yet she did not retaliate.

As the voices grew louder, Draco stood up and headed towards the door to tell the bullies that if they did not stop disturbing his peace, he had several experimental spells he would be all to happy to experiment on them.

But he didn't get the chance. For no sooner had he reached the door, it burst open, hitting him square in the face. When his vision had stopped spinning he managed to make out the shape of five shocked and scared faces, some staring at him, the others staring at his feet.

Draco didn't need to look down to know what had come crashing through his door. As he wiped the blood which was dribbling down his lip away, he sneered at the girls, making swift eye contact with each of them.

The one he had heard the most as she had taunted Luna squeaked an apology and scurried away, followed by the four others.

Slamming the door shut behind them, Draco turned his attention to the girl sat at his feet.

Luna smiled as she saw him staring at her own, now shoeless feet.

'They've taken them. Just getting an early start on the fun.'

Luna sounded as though she completely believed what she was saying but a slight dullness in her eyes told Draco that maybe the bullying bothered her a bit more than she was letting on.

Draco sighed and sat down, holding a tissue to the fountain of blood gushing out of his nose. Luna watched him and realised that it had been worth testing out that spell on Harry since she'd now be able to use it again.

'I can fix it if you like?'

Draco looked sceptical but something told him he could trust her so he removed the tissue and nodded. It was causing him a considerable amount of discomfort.

Luna stood up but as the train chugged along she found the movement was making it difficult to hold her wand in the right position, especially as Draco's head seem to go in the opposite direction to where she was pointing every time the train moved.

Her face looked quizzical as she gently placed one hand against Draco's cheek to hold it steady.

'Episkey!'

There was a crunch similar to when she had fixed Harry's nose but very little reaction from Draco. He had tensed and Luna saw him grit his teeth but he had made no sound. His eyes were expressionless as he mumbled his thanks and Luna had a feeling that he wasn't really seeing her anymore.

She sat herself down on the seat opposite him and pulled her knees up underneath her chin, peering at the Slytherin over the top of them. She just couldn't figure him out. He had changed so dramatically and Luna knew that she would probably not discover the reason for that change until it was too late.

They sat in silence but as the sound of the sweet trolley coming clattering along started to draw near, Luna stood up and began to creep away, hoping that Draco wouldn't notice or be disturbed. She had just placed her hand on the handle when with a click and swish the lock turned and the blind came down.

'You don't have to go.'

Draco's wand was still pointing in the direction of the door as Luna turned to look at him, awestruck. So awestruck in fact that she didn't hear the sound of the trolley lady knocking on the door.

As the friendly familiar call of 'Any candy from the trolley?' sounded through the door, Draco sighed and got to his feet with Luna only just moving out of the way in time for him to open it slightly and politely decline the old lady's offer.

He shut and relocked the door, this time by hand.

'I won't hold you prisoner if you would hate my company that much. But you don't have to leave.'

In answer to his question, Luna turned and skipped back to her seat. Draco followed suit, returning to his pass time of staring out of the window mysteriously.

'There's a saying that muggles have. It goes 'Ask me no questions and I'll tell you no lies.' I think we should stick to that this year.'

Draco regarded her questioningly. 'And why's that, Lovegood?'

'Because we all have secrets which, if the right person asked us, we would probably tell.'

Her eyes bore into his and Draco knew she was referring to his outburst at the astronomy tower before christmas.

'So, no questions?' she held out her hand and Draco shook it tentatively. It was as though they were settling a business deal and Draco had had too much of 'business' in the past two weeks.

The pressure was mounting as one term had already gone by. His mother had been jumpy and overly attentive all holiday which had only made Draco more worried. He could feel Luna's eyes on him as he thought but he wasn't concerned.

'We're nearly at Hogwarts, I hope there's pudding.'

With that one sentence, Draco understood what had possessed him to allow Luna to sit with him. Her weightless concerns and observations calmed him. He could almost forget the seriousness of his own situation when he was around her trivial worries.

He glanced up to see her staring straight at him and realised he hadn't been completely accurate with his assumptions.

Her worries were not all trivial because from the way she was gazing at him, Draco knew instinctively that he was one of them.

* * *

><p><strong>Wooo! Long chapter! Really I would have split this into two and got them up quicker but there was really no good place to split it so I just kept writing! I also found another fanfic I wrote a while ago so I finished it and uploaded it. It's called 'Today's answer, tomorrow's question'. Please feel free to read and review it if you have time! x<strong>


	18. Chapter 18

The spell rebounded, hitting Draco square in the chest and throwing him hard against the bare stone wall. His head jerked back hitting the sharp edge of one of the bricks, bringing tears to his eyes as a sharp pains shot through his skull. His hand shaking, he reached up to where the pain was coming from. Pulling his fingers away, he barely noticed the red that stained them. Sighing, he rested his head against the wall, feeling a streak of heat as the blood dribbled down his neck. It was probably not the best way to start a new year but he didn't care anymore. He was so tired and stressed. No-one would come to find him. Lessons were going on and he had made his excuses. No-one cared enough to question them.

He could see his vision start to go cloudy and with a slight smile he let himself relax. Maybe at last he would get some sleep.

'Malfoy?'

Draco had started to open his eyes before his brain had realised who that voice belonged to. He found himself staring straight into the silvery-grey eyes of Luna Lovegood. She was knelt next to him, looking at him in a way only his mother had ever looked at him; with concern.

And so he asked her the first question that had popped into his head.

'You called me Malfoy?'

'I thought you were more likely to respond. Can you lean forwards please, you seem to be bleeding.'

'I don't need you to help me, Lovegood.'

Draco tensed as Luna's fingers found the gash at the base of his skull, breathing sharply.

Luna apologised and began searching through her pockets for her wand, before finding it tucked behind her ear.

'Oh I know you don't _want_ me to help you. But I think perhaps you do need me to.'

She looked at him sternly before pushing away his hand, pointing her wand at the wound and uttering a spell Draco had never heard before.

Draco felt his head jerk forwards slightly but at the same time, he noticed the pain disappear. He rubbed the back of his head, as though making sure she hadn't actually damaged his head any further. Satisfied that his head was still attached to the rest of him, he sat up.

'So, what brings you to this deserted bathroom, Loony? Stalking me again?'

'Actually, I got something strange on my hands in potions and Professor Snape told me to wash it off and if my hand started to burn, I had to go to see Madame Pomfrey. But I've washed it off now and everything seems to be alright.'

'I mean why are you in _here?'_ He watched her closely. 'No-one ever comes in here. That's why it's so perfect for whenever you want to... be alone.'

Luna smiled. 'I don't really mind coming in here. Sometimes it's worth putting up with Myrtle's screaming to just have some time when you don't have to answer everyone's questions. And besides, maybe it's fate. If I hadn't come in here, you would have just been left to bleed.'

Draco resisted the urge to make some sarcastic comment about how that would have been preferable to actually having to put up with her and instead turned his attention to the state of his 'rescuer'.

Something had slipped out from her shirt as she had leant over and it was now hanging at an odd angle around her neck. Taking the single cork between his fingers, Draco looked at her with a bemused and slightly mocking expression which Luna seemed to ignore.

'It keeps away the nargles. They live in mistletoe. It was useful this christmas, my house was full of it.'

Draco nodded. He wasn't agreeing with her. Merlin knows, all that came out of her mouth was gibberish. He was simply accepting that he had heard her and understood her mostly. She was keeping him from thinking about the more disturbing things that had plagued him the entire holidays with her nonsense and for that at least, he was grateful. He let the cork drop from his fingers shifting his position so he was more comfortable. Luna seemed to suddenly become aware of how close they were, leaning back and looking awkwardly to her left.

Draco watched her and realised in that moment that he actually had a lot to be grateful to Luna Lovegood for. He would never say thank you, it wasn't in his nature and she was on scarface's side and voldemort would probably kill both him and her if he found out he had been talking to her...

The excuses and reasoning kept coming and Draco argued with himself for all of fifteen seconds before coming to the conclusion that Voldemort was going to kill him anyway for not killing Dumbledore so it didn't matter what he did.

'Luna?'

As Luna turned her head, Draco slipped his hand around her neck and pulled her towards him, pressing his lips to hers in the most gentle of kisses he could have managed. He pulled back slowly but only far enough for his eyes to meet hers. She looked shocked but not disgusted. Taking this as a positive thing, Draco used his other hand to brush a strand of hair behind her ear, shifting onto his knees so he was higher than her. Her eyes never left his for a moment but strangely her eyes were not scared, more expectant.

As he leaned in again, Draco saw her eyes close and he kissed her more confidently. She was inexperienced, he could tell, but that made it all the more interesting.

They did not separate for a long time and when they did, the realisation of what he had just done dawned on Draco. His disbelief was obviously evident in his face Luna smiled reassuringly.

'A knock on the head can make you do strange things.'

Draco nodded, trying to convince himself. Gently Luna removed his hand and took a step back , her eyes never leaving his. Pivoting on one foot, she began to skip towards the door. She was pulling the door behind her when Draco called her again.

'Lovegood?'

Her head popped around the door, her eyes wide and her faint eyebrows raised.

'Yes?'

'If a knock to the head can make you crazy, did your Dad throw you at a wall when you were a baby?'

Luna smiled, nodded and disappeared, leaving Draco wondering if her Dad had actually thrown her at a wall.

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><p><strong>Hey ho! Another long chapter - I think it's because things are becoming a lot more interesting. I had some trouble deciding if this was the right place to put this chapter since I've had it written for months but I think it is right. I've been in London with my friends for the past few days and I have been to kings cross and seen all the sights. It was so much fun!<br>So if you enjoyed it, tell me. I love reviews so much. **

**I would also like to thank everyone who had reviewed so far. Reading through the reviews has helped to push me in keeping the chapters coming. I'll get the next one up soon.**


	19. Chapter 19

Luna had been observing. It was a hobby of hers she put into practice most days. And today was a particularly interesting day. Valentines day. Already she had seen several gifts being exchanged and letters received. She had seen Ron turn the same colour as his hair as Hermione had commented on the ridiculous nature of the holiday. Just as Lavender chose to lavish her affections on the redhead. Yes, today was a particularly interesting day for people watching, apart from one thing. Her usual point of interest was not sitting brooding in his usual place, not that any of his friends had noticed. They were too busy stuffing their faces with breakfast. She decided to not let it bother her and, scooping up her bag, she went to feed the thestrals.

As she walked she saw the very person she had been 'not thinking about'. He was sat slouched against one of the trees, a pile of envelopes and fancy pink writing paper next to him, along with a multitude of generic valentines day gifts.

It was with a certain amount of nosiness that Luna conveniently walked right past the very tree Draco was resting against. She smiled her hello and tried to continue on her way. As a part of her had hoped, Draco called out to her, a look of disdain written across his face.

'I bet you love this holiday. Everyone's just as stupid and dreamy as you for once.'

Luna stopped, threw down her bag, knelt down next to him and picked up one of the discarded letters, scanning her eyes over it, a fake rose clutched in her other hand.

'You're very popular, are you going to reply to any of them?'

'They're just silly little girls with their pathetic muggle fairy tale fantasies. Why would I ever waste my time on them?'

'It's sweet that they care though. I bet they're in Gryffindor, you have to be brave to confess to someone.'

Draco snorted.

'Oh please, their 'love' is no more real than this.' He took the plastic rose out of Luna's hand, throwing it over his shoulder and using his wand, he set the remaining pile of letters alight.

'But surely, if you're willing to _do_ something. It can't be completely meaningless. Actions speak louder than words.'

Draco turned to look at her in disbelief. 'You really believe that romantic crap?'

'I believe in a lot of things.' She was giggling blissfully at one of the letters she had salvaged from the burning pile. Draco tore it out of her hands and threw it back into the fire. As Luna looked up to complain, Draco met her eyes challengingly.

'And how many of those have turned out to be real?'

'You don't have to see something to believe it's real. That's what faith is.'

'So you believe that because some air-headed third year has sent me mindless gibberish on scented paper she is in love with me?'

And then Draco did something he hadn't done since he had come back to Hogwarts. He laughed. Not a proper, happy laugh. More a laugh of disbelief but it was a laugh all the same. He was smiling.

'I just mean that words can hide their meaning but actions always betray their true meaning.'

Luna met his eyes seriously as Draco shook his head.

'You're wrong. People can manipulative, cruel. Their actions can pretend to portray one thing so they can get another. It's simple enough to do.'

'I don't think that's tru-'

Luna didn't finish because Draco had pressed his lips to hers at such a speed she could only look shocked, her eyes wide open in surprise.

He didn't stay there for long before leaning back and fixing her with his hardest glare.

'See. It means nothing. Because...' He seemed to struggle to form his words and his hands were shaking. 'You mean nothing to me.'

Luna tried to stop him as he marched away. He escaped but not without Luna noticing the fear that still remained in his eyes.

She had been right, actions did speak louder than words.

Only in this case it had been _re_-actions that had screamed out their meaning.


	20. Chapter 20

A week of boredom had passed since valentines day. Lessons had continued as normal, Harry had spent most of it trying to convince as many people as he could that Crabbe and Goyle were acting as look outs for Malfoy. As always, Luna had told him she knew he was telling the truth but he had merely counted it as her usual 'believe what no one else believes' attitude and didn't listen when she tried to tell him how she knew.

It was the day of their third apparition lesson and Luna felt she was starting to understand how it all worked. She'd been successful twice in the last lesson but both times she had managed to splinch herself. Whilst other people had found splinching disgusting, Luna had found suddenly being separated from her right leg mildly amusing until it had become unbearably painful.

Sat at the table, the tension around the once harmonious trio had become unbearable and Luna had left them in the grand hall as soon as she had swallowed her last mouthful of lunch. The sun was streaming through the windows and Luna was considering whether or not she had enough time to go down to the lake before the apparition lesson started when she spotted an all too familiar figure conversing with his followers, who looked less than happy with what he was saying. But despite their obvious annoyance, they remained silent as Draco sent them away. They marched straight past Luna, barely noticing her. Draco, on the other hand, had spotted her from across the courtyard where he was standing. He had given her a stare that meant 'tell anyone and I will do something to make you wish you were never born' and walked away. Luna just gulped away her concern and set off towards the lake, her new favourite book clutched in her hand.

She must have taken a longer route than she thought because Draco was already sat at the lake when she arrived there. He didn't notice her arrival so she sat herself down, opened her book and began to read, one eye occasionally watching Draco. He was thinking deeply, absent-mindedly passing a long black cane from one hand to the other as he thought.

Luna tried to concentrate on her book but the words had begun to spin. It was much to warm for February and the sun was sending her to sleep.

Luna opened her eyes to see Draco standing over her, poking her with the stick he had been holding and looking mildly annoyed.

'You look like a pig when you're sleeping, Lovegood.'

As she began to get to her feet Draco started to stride away, cane still in hand. Luna scurried after him until she was walking beside him.

'Do you miss your dad?'

When Draco didn't respond she pointed at the cane he was holding.

'It's his walking stick isn't it? I saw it on the first day of school.'

He still didn't reply so Luna tried a different approach.

'I miss my mum sometimes.'

She smiled at Draco's awkward expression.

'But you'll see him again. You're lucky. I won't ever get to see my mum again. Thanks for waking me up. I'll see you later'

And then she was gone. Skipping towards the door to the apparition lesson as if nothing had happened.

He had said nothing but still Draco felt as though he had revealed everything to her.

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><p><strong>Well it's been an eventful week or so. Exam results on thursday and then friday I got ill so I've not been in any mood to be creative. <strong>

**But anyway, that's the next chapter up and I'm going to see if I can get the next one up by the end of this week.**

**As always, review if you liked it!**


	21. Chapter 21

'Hey... I don't think he's in his bed.'

And whilst Harry had thought Ron had not heard him, he was not the only person in Hogwarts aware of Draco's absence from his bed.

In fact, although she was not completely conscious, Luna was very much aware that Draco was not in his dormitory because from where she was lying she could see him working on something. She blinked a couple of times to confirm she wasn't dreaming, thought about going back to sleep, decided that there were more interesting things afoot and got to her feet.

She knew Draco had heard her moving, she had seen his ears practically prick up at the sound of her walking towards him. Which was why she wasn't at all surprised when he began to speak to her without even looking up.

'You were already in here when I arrived. I saw no point in waking you.'

He was concentrating hard on the spell book in front of him, his eyes occasionally darting upwards at the huge cupboard he was facing. He could feel her studying him and after trying hard to ignore her stare he finally gave in and turned to look at her.

'You're awake now, the door is there.' He pointed in a direction over Luna's shoulder but instead of following where he was pointing, Luna kept her eyes fixed on Draco.

'Draco.. what...'

'No questions. That was the deal, Lovegood. Now for the love of Merlin, it's first thing in the morning, will you GET OUT!'

There was a slight weakness in his voice which Luna had never heard before. He was less vicious, more panic stricken as he marched towards her, his wand half raised as though he didn't quite know what he planned to do with it.

'If you don't-'

'I don't need to know anything vital. You don't have to tell me everything.'

She spoke so quickly that Draco's arm fell to his side.

'What?'

'If you talk to someone about your worries, they'll be easier to bear. It's just an idea, but I think it works. And I don't have to know any details. I could hel-'

'Is that what this is? The lunatic trying to convince herself she's not alone in her insanity. Well sorry to disappoint you, _Loony, _but I'm fine.' He strolled over to one of the many chairs in the room, picked up the nearest open book and started to pretend to read it.

And then a surprising thing happened.

Luna was silent.

And it looked every bit as though someone had just punched her in the face. It seemed that for once, a comment had actually offended her. When she finally spoke again to fill the horrific silence that had descended, it was much quieter than she had ever spoken before.

'I wasn't always like this. I was quite sane when I was younger.'

'I don't think there was ever a point in your life when you were 'quite sane', Luna.' Draco didn't have to look up to comment but Luna was back to not caring about what people thought.

'It was just after my mum died. I'd dream about her you see, and then I'd walk. I suppose I was trying to find her. And now I just sleep walk, so I wear shoes to bed, just to be prepared.'

Draco looked down at her feet and, just as she had said, on them were a dainty pair of silver pumps. She was dressed still in her alarmingly patterned pyjamas, a silvery-pink robe tied around her. Her hair looked as though it had once been tied in a plait although the thing with which it had been tied with had long since disappeared and long blonde trails of hair had escaped, flowing out in all directions.  
>It seemed that as he had been analysing Luna, she had been analysing him. Because as he made his judgement, she spoke again.<p>

'You didn't sleep again, did you?' There was real concern in her voice, something which for some reason angered Draco. She had no right to be worried about him. He didn't need anyone to care about him, least of all Loony Lovegood.

Concern made him think about his own worries, his weaknesses and he couldn't afford to think about them.

But it was so difficult when he had no real desire to complete his mission.

He was a coward, he wanted the easy way out but for once, there wasn't one.

He sank to the floor, his elbows resting on his knees and his head in his hands, looking more childlike and immature than he ever had in his life. There was a tantalising moment when he was completely still and from where she was sitting, Luna held her breath. But then his shoulders began to heave and sobs broke through the silence.

Luna hesitantly shuffled towards him, stopping to sit next to him.

'I don't think you're fine, Draco.' She paused as he lifted his head, tears still dripping down his face. 'But that's alright, because I'm not fine either so we can be not fine together.'

Every thought crossing Draco's mind passed across his face one by one and Luna read them as easily as if they had been written down in front of her. In the end his selfish need for comfort won through and he made no complaint as Luna wiped away the remaining tears.

'Let's talk.'

And so they did. Luna did a majority of the talking, telling Draco about her mother and her times at some of the quidditch matches she had been to. She told him about every creature she could think of, with Draco butting in occasionally to tell her that no such thing existed. It wasn't long however before the responses stopped and Luna knew that she had succeeded in her real aim. Draco was sleeping. His expression was not peaceful but it was still and any sleep was better than no sleep at all.

Luna made as though to get up but a tight hold on her hand prevented her.

'I'll come back, I just need to get dressed.'

The hold released and Luna hurried away, returning five minutes later looking more presentable but no less ditzy. Draco watched her enter, closing his eyes only as she sat back in her place next to him.

'You can't leave until I say you can.' The spoilt side of Draco, caused by an overattentive mother emerged in his sleepy voice but Luna could see no reason for her to leave and so she nodded, pleased to finally feel of some use to someone.

The rest of the day was strange, with Draco dosing on and off and Luna calming the times when he was woken with her endless stream of useless chatter. They were no friends but for that one day there was a peace between the two opposing parties and so when late afternoon came, they left the room of requirement without the usual threats.

Luna closed the door behind her and turned just as, in a whirl of dark hair, Hermione flew towards her.

'Oh, hello Hermione. You're in a rush. Has something happened?'

Hermione barely turned to reply. 'Ron's been poisoned. He's in the hospital now.'

She continued down the corridor, so preoccupied with reaching her destination that she didn't notice Draco standing only a few paces away from Luna, his expression dark.

But Luna had noticed and any suspicions she had once had were now confirmed. Her eyes met his and it took less than a second for the peace to shatter, Draco to give her his most threatening stare and walk away at a speed just under running.

But Luna wasn't about to let anything slip that easily and, without a second thought for what people would think, she ran after him.

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><p><strong>I know, I know.. it's taken so long to get this chapter up! I actually ended up rewriting it about four times because I couldn't get it just right...<strong>

**One more thing as well... I've actually done some illustrations for some of the earlier chapters so if you want to see them, they're on my deviantart account which has the same username as my fanfiction.**

**And thank you again to all my wonderful reviewers! I am so happy that you liked it enough to recommend it. It made my day when I read that. If you don't mind, could you tell me which forum it was?**


	22. Chapter 22

**This chapter just seemed to write itself. I had very little idea of what I actually wanted to happen in it but here it is. Enjoy!**

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><p>Her voice seemed to be getting louder every time she called his name. She would catch up with him soon and Draco was trying in vain to think of a valid explanation for her actions in case anyone saw. Perhaps a sudden obsession with him? She had suddenly started following him round and he couldn't shake her off? None of his excuses seemed very Luna-ish or remotely believable.<p>

As Draco had learned to accept, things never went the way he wished they would go when Luna was involved and so of course, the sound of Crabbe and Goyle galumphing down the corridors soon met his ears. Draco was good at thinking on his feet and so before Luna had chance to call his name at an unearthly volume again, he clamped his hand over her mouth just as she stumbled into him, and pulled her into the nearest doorway, holding his breath as his two 'assistants' walked past. For once, their lack of observational skills came in useful. One hand still keeping her quiet, Draco used the other one to open the door they were leaning against. The classroom seemed empty so he opened the door further, ignoring the fact that Luna was actually leaning on it. He hurried into the room, stepping over Luna who was now sat on the floor looking confused after her tumbling entrance into the room.

'I didn't poison Weasel and no-one forced that Bell girl to touch that necklace so don't try to pin that on me either. They just... got in the way of something.'

'Draco, you're telling me things again.' Luna got to her feet and picked up a feather left on the desk from the previous lesson and stroked it absent-mindedly. 'And if you keep telling me things I will have to tell them to Harry.'

'You wouldn't dare, Loony. And even if you did they wouldn't believe you.'

Luna had been inspecting the feather but she placed it back down on the desk as she replied.

'Wouldn't I? Because we do have to defeat voldemort and the sooner it happens, the better. Wouldn't you agree?'

Luna had got Draco trapped and he knew it. To say that Voldemort should not be stopped was as good as saying he supported him in most people's eyes and agreeing with her gave her permission to tell all that she knew to Harry.

There was a silence when the two blondes just watched each other as they moved. Luna mirrored Draco's movements as he walked through the desks, until he stopped next to one and stared at it. Luna walked up behind Draco, finally figuring out what she wanted to say.

'I'm not afraid of you Draco, but I am afraid for you.'

Not looking up, Draco traced some of the graffiti on the desk in front of him with his fingers.

'You don't know what fear is, Lovegood.'

His voice was hoarse although it was unclear whether anger or grief was the reason.

'Fear is seeing your father sent to Azkaban and realising you're suddenly the man of the house and the only person left to look after your mother. It's being given a task that the greatest of wizards could not achieve and having only a year to do it in. It's knowing that if you fail...'

Draco's eyes looked up to the window where the sun was setting.

'I'm not scared of death. I don't want to die but sometimes not existing at all is a welcome idea. Life is a whole lot scarier than death.'

He seemed to have forgotten who he was speaking to because he jumped as Luna took his hand in her own. She was having trouble keeping up with his sudden mood changes and for some reason something had told her that contact could maybe bring him back to reality.

'I lied, I won't tell Harry.'

As he turned, he pulled his hand out of hers, looking slightly disgusted.

'How do I know I can trust you?'

'You don't. But I want to help you, Draco. We could be..'

'Friends?' Draco cut in smirking harshly. 'Merlin, Luna. You really are delusional.'

'No, more like confidants. I've never really had a friend. I suppose it could be nice.'

'Another thing we have in common.'

Luna seemed to look alarmed at this, her eyes growing wider.

'What else do we have in common?'

Draco regretted ever saying anything. Luna stepped towards him, one hand touching his arm.

'Tell me.'

Draco felt as though the place where she was touching was burning. It had been the reason he'd pulled his hand out of hers earlier. He had been completely starved of physical contact. Even Pansy refused to come anywhere near him at the moment. She said he was 'no fun'. Yet here was Luna, unhesitating and oblivious to what she was doing.

'Well let's start with where we are, Lovegood. We both have friends, of sorts. Our own group. Yet here we are, on our own, quite willingly I might add. Is that really normal?'

Luna opened her mouth to speak but Draco placed a finger on her lips stopping her short as he continued with his list.

'Of course there is also the insanity. It's amazing what living can do to you isn't it? Experiences can turn you weak and make you believe in stupid things and believe that you can do the impossible. Isn't that right, Loony?'

His eyebrows raised and Luna was reminded of when Draco used to bully the Weasleys. Those days of petty malice were gone. Something much more sinister had taken hold of Draco and Luna was determined that it would not win.

'And then there's this.' He had been wandering around the room as he spoke, occasionally turning to address a question directly to her.

Now he stopped in front of her. 'This strange attraction we seem to have developed. This...'

He slipped one hand around the back of her head, forcing her to look at him. '...reliance on each other.' She was uncomfortable, just as he intended her to be. 'Now then, Lovegood. Prove I can trust you and perhaps I'll tell you more.'

He was playing with words, making her head spin and it was working. Draco knew the effect he could have on girls and how to play it exactly right. He hadn't expected it to work so easily on Luna though and he was almost disappointed at how willingly she followed his lead. She sat on the desk just as he directed her to and watched him with her interested expression as he slid one hand around her waist and the other back behind her head. Up until now Loony had disappointed him. There was nothing about her different from any other girl he had seduced in the same way.

Whilst he had kissed her before, Draco didn't count them since he concluded he hadn't been himself either times. He couldn't remember much of their first kiss, the knock on the head had seen to that and as for the valentine's day one. It was so quick it barely counted. Now with a Draco who was stressed, miserable and starved of any action, it was the perfect test for working out how much Luna was worth keeping. He must have been thinking for too long because to his surprise it was Luna who kissed him first. A simple brush of her lips against his but it was enough because Draco caught her before she could pull back, forcing their lips back together. It was then that he found the part of Luna different from other girls. All the other girls he had kissed were fuelled by passion and lust, he was a form of entertainment in their eyes and they wanted the most enjoyment out of him. Not that Draco had ever complained. Luna was different in that her kisses were controlled and gentle. They lacked the hunger of other girls but it felt as though each time her lips met Draco's they were calming him. He felt the anger and fears leave him as she seemed to consume his thoughts.

As he tasted the tears he knew straight away they were his. Luna, seemingly without a pause for thought, kissed both his cheeks where the tears had fallen, cupping his face and stroking away the remains of the tears with her thumbs.

'Things seem clearer when you look through tears, don't you think?'

Draco's head was much clearer, he knew that much and he knew the reason wasn't his tears. But there was no way on earth he was about to confess to Loony Lovegood that she was stopping him from going insane.

'I've not eaten all day, I wonder if the house elves will make me pudding if I ask them?'

Luna was back to her not so normal self and everything probably would have gone on as normal, unnoticed, if at that moment the door hadn't opened.

'Miss Lovegood?, Mr Malfoy? Why, may I ask, are you in my classroom at this time on a saturday?'

Draco looked from Luna to Miss McGonagall and without a word, he marched from the classroom.

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><p><strong>I hope I haven't moved them too fast.. I just felt they'd been building up to this for a while and then it just seemed to happen. Anyways, almost 50 reviews huzzah! Review if you liked it!<strong>


	23. Chapter 23

'Honestly Headmaster, if I didn't know any better I'd have said they'd been...' McGonagall shook her head in disbelief as she sat with Dumbledore. 'But it's impossible isn't it? The two of them are too different.'

Dumbledore stroked his beard thoughtfully. 'And yet from what you described, it would seem they were indeed enjoying each others company.'

McGonagall had reported all that she had witnessed to the headmaster and was now sat mulling it over with him. Dumbledore took another sip of the tea he was drinking.

'And you said that Luna did not look at all distressed.'

'Not at all. After Draco left she smiled at me and told me how nice my hair looked.' McGonagall's expression was growing more complex by the minute. 'And then she just skipped out of the room. In fact, I would say that it was Draco who was more distressed.'

Dumbledore nodded knowingly. 'Well the young Mr Malfoy has a lot to deal with. Who knows, maybe he has found comfort from an unlikely source.'

'But Luna of all people, Dumbledore. She's Harry's friend, could this not just be a ploy to upset him? We all know how much those two boys dislike each other.'

Dumbledore's eyebrows met in the centre of his forehead as he considered her suggestion.

'But do you not feel if this was so, they would not be meeting in an empty classroom but in a place where Harry would be sure to see them? No, I think these meetings are simply that, meetings and it would seem they are intended to be secret.'

McGonagall was still not satisfied. 'And what do you think should be done about it headmaster?'

'I say we leave them be. They are doing no harm and as far as I know, they are not breaking any rules by meeting. Perhaps some good will come out of it. But I think a subtle warning is in order. We wouldn't want anyone else finding out about these rendezvous.'

'But professor, they are on different sides, what if he is just using her or...' She pulled her cloak closer around her shoulders.

'What if they really do grow to love each other.' Dumbledore finished off McGonagall's sentence. 'I think, Minerva, that we can only wait and pray that they do the right thing.'

'But professor, Hogwarts is hardly the place for a Romeo and Juliet re-enactment.'

'My dear Minerva, Romeo and Juliet is a muggle play involving a three day relationship between a seventeen year old and a thirteen year old which resulted in six deaths. I do not think the situation we are in now really compares.'

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><p>Draco had been staring at his plate blankly for at least thirty seconds and the chicken he had picked still didn't look any more appetising.<p>

'Hey' he felt a nudge from the bumbling mass on his left. 'you going to eat that?'

Without even looking at the speaker, Draco pushed his plate towards him. It had been a difficult few days. He was still no nearer to fixing the vanishing cabinet and since his last attempt at killing Dumbledore had been foiled by Weasel's stupidity, he was no closer to completing his mission. He would have to forget about competing in the quidditch match tomorrow. He doubted he would have the energy anyway. The last good nights sleep he had had was just after he had left Luna and McGonagall.

He was debating ignoring the evening notices and going back to the Slytherin Common room. It would be empty and he could have some peace for once. He stood up to leave just as Dumbledore stood up from his own table. His chance had gone. He would now be forced to sit and listen whilst they were reminded to stay out of the forbidden forest and reminded that apparitions lessons were still going on every saturday, amongst other things.

'And finally..' Draco lifted his head in hope as the last notice was called. 'I would like to remind the older students that whilst displays of affection are not prohibited, they should be conducted in the appropriate areas. Your professors do not need to be reminded that their time for such frivolities is over by finding you in their classrooms.'

There was a titter of amusement and chatter throughout the grand hall as soon as Dumbledore had finished speaking, although Draco and Luna's voices were not among them. Dumbledore had focused his stare a little too long on each of them for there to be any doubt who had triggered the notice. It was a warning for them to be more careful.

The rest of the students had started to leave the great hall, rumours and denials flying about who had been caught in one of the classrooms. Of course there was no suspicion that the two blondes still sat unmoving in their chairs could be the culprits and for that at least, Luna was grateful.

She looked up to where she knew Draco had been sat but he was gone. Figuring that if he wasn't bothered, she shouldn't be either she smiled and got to her feet. It was only when she felt someone knock into her and a small piece of paper was pushed into her hand that she realised she had made the wrong assumption.

Sat alone in the common room, Luna opened the note and realised that she was about to break yet more rules.

'_Prefects bathroom, tonight. Password's 'Lavabit'.'_


	24. Chapter 24

Luna gently closed the heavy brown door behind her. It was just after midnight and the Ravenclaw common room had been emptied early for once. Usually it was filled with first year students rewriting their homework for the fifth time or later years sneaking revision in early for exams but tonight the exhaustion of the week had won and by midnight everyone was inside their own dormitories save for Luna, unnoticed as she sat pretending to read a book upside-down.

She made her way down the spiral staircase stopping every few seconds when she was convinced she could hear someone following her. And each time it was a moment before she realised it was the sound of her own heart racing. She had broken rules before. Never big ones but like everyone else she had returned books late to the library and drunk firewhiskey before she was meant to. But meeting up with a boy after dark in a bathroom she wasn't even meant to know the password to was pretty big in Luna's opinion and even the slightest noise made her leap several feet into the air out of sheer terror.

She was so terrified in fact that when she finally reached the bathroom, she whispered the password so quietly that the door didn't open. It was only when the sound of Mrs Norris' meow met her ears that Luna plucked up the courage to speak more loudly. The door opened and she stepped hesitantly inside.

The bathroom, in Luna's opinion, was not much different from any of the other Hogwarts bathrooms. True, it was more visually appealing but it still only held the usual facilities of any other bathroom.

She scanned the whole room but there seemed to be no sign of Draco. He emerged moments later from behind one of the toilet stalls and Luna's first thought was that he had forgotten half of his school uniform. He was still wearing his shirt and trousers much to Luna's relief but she could see his tie and robes in a pile next to the huge round bath. As he walked towards her Luna could see him buttoning up his shirt and the thought suddenly struck her that if she'd entered when she first said the password, the meeting could have been a lot more awkward.

'You took your time, Lovegood.' Luna only nodded dreamily, her eyebrows scrunching as she pushed a strand of hair out of his eyes.

'Your hair's soaking wet, Draco.'

'Well surprisingly enough, Lovegood, I don't only use this bathroom for midnight meetings with girls.'

Luna walked over to the pile of towels next to the bath raising her eyebrows for permission to use it on Draco's dripping hair. He nodded and sat down on one of the benches, letting Luna gently pat his sopping hair dry. She stopped for a second, her hands hovering above his head as she spoke her thoughts.

'But you do use it for that.'

Draco shrugged.

'Of course. It's the most secure place. Only a minority know the password and of those that do, there's only the Slytherins who are likely to break the rules. The other house prefects are too _good_.'

Having finished in her quest to dry Draco's hair, Luna sat down, placing the towel down next to her. The benches had no backs to them so whilst she was sat on the other side of the bench, she was still level with Draco.

'You wanted to talk to me?'

Draco began to reply but a piercing giggle drowned out any words he was speaking. Draco's eye grew wide but there was no way he would be able to hide Luna before Myrtle emerged from the toilet. And sure enough the giggling ghost was soon upon them, inspecting Luna jealously.

'Who's this one, Draco? She's not one of the usual girls. They all have dark hair.'

Draco stood up as Myrtle floated round to talk to him.

'I liked that Daphne girl. The one who didn't tell me to go away. I don't like Pansy, she is always perfectly horrid..'

Myrtle flew in circles round Draco, rattling off the list of girls she'd seen him with and growing more and more irritated that she wasn't getting a reaction out of him. She finally stopped and turned her attention to Luna.

'You're not as pretty as the others. Draco usually has better taste than this...'

She was about to continue with her attack on Luna but with one threat from Draco concerning the Bloody Baron she zoomed away at a speed Luna had never seen any ghost fly at before.

'You shouldn't be so cruel to her. She's just lonely.'

Luna scolded Draco as he returned to his seat.

'If she wasn't so irritating, perhaps she would make more friends.'

'The same could be said for other people, don't you think?'

'I didn't ask you to come so I could be insulted.'

'So why did you ask me?' Luna turned her head to address him but, given their seating arrangements, they were a lot closer together than she thought. She felt Draco's breath tickle her face as he replied.

'Because I wanted to see if you'd be stupid enough to turn up.'

He was refusing to break eye contact with her, she could see the challenge in his eyes for her to be the one to look away first.

'The real reason, please?'

When he didn't answer Luna scuttled around the bench and sat next to him, an understanding smile spreading across her face.

'I have three suggestions. One: you're worried about Voldmort's mission, two: you've got a million and one thoughts going round in your head and once and none of them make sense and three: You haven't slept properly since Saturday.' She finished her analysis proudly. In the past few moments she had noticed a change of power. Luna had the advantage of understanding which gave her knowledge and when dealing with a conflicting Draco Malfoy, knowledge and certainty were power. She didn't have to ask if she was right, she knew she was.

'If you were going to suggest that I should stop trying to help you then don't bother.'

Draco looked about to protest but Luna got in there first.

'Because I will keep trying to help you until you don't need me to. No-one deserves to face Voldemort alone, no matter what side they're on.'

'I'm not challenging Voldemort, you imbicile, I'm working for him.'

Luna shook her head. 'By name, maybe, but not in practise. If you were, you wouldn't be here with me now, looking for any way out of completing your mission. Every second you spend with me is a second of not doing what Voldmort has asked of you. That doesn't sound like you're for him at all.'

As Draco placed his head in his hands, Luna sighed. 'I've not done what you wanted me to do at all, have I?'

'It's more complicated than just not doing what he says. There's consequences.'

'There's consequences to every action, Draco. That doesn't mean we should not do the right thing.' Luna was trying her best but Draco had begun to shake and cry and Luna for once couldn't find the words to comfort him.

'Merlin Lovegood!, Why don't you understand?'

Luna sank to her knees in front of him, gently lifting his head so he was looking her in the eye.

'There's something my mother used to say to me when I was frustrated. She used to say "you cannot expect anyone to understand you until you understand yourself."'

Draco removed her hands from his face.

'And what's that's supposed to mean?'

'I think it means if you don't know what you're trying to say, no-one else will either.'

'Your mum was as crazy as you.'

'Not crazy, just open minded. She wanted to find out things that no-one ever had but she never got the chance.'

Luna stood up, rubbing her eyes in an attempt to stay awake. 'It's late, Draco. I think I'm going to go back to bed. I'll see you at the quidditch match.'

Draco didn't even bother to tell her he wouldn't be there. She was so tired, she probably wouldn't have remembered. Any spring in her step was well and truly gone as she walked out of the door.

It wasn't long before Draco followed her example. Confused as he was, something about Luna's presence always managed to convince the part of him that prevented him from sleeping to shut up and as soon as his head hit the pillow, he was finally asleep.

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><p><strong>This was a bit of a weird chapter to write. I'm not completely sure if I'm happy with it but there you go. As always, if you like it more than I do, please review! <strong>


	25. Chapter 25

He hadn't been at the quidditch match. Luna had scanned the grounds several times before the match but there was no sign of him. From her position in the commentators box she had the perfect view of all the stands and he was not in any of them. There was nothing left to do but commentate and so she did. Although she often got side tracked and forgot about what exactly she was meant to be commentating on.

When Harry had been knocked off his broom she had been discussing the chance of rain based on the current positions of Saturn, Mars and a planet no one else seemed to believe existed. She had, of course, been very concerned for his safety but after a brief comment on how she thought the Gryffindor keeper was getting his job muddled up and wishes for Harry's speedy recovery, she was back to discussing everything except the events happening on the quidditch pitch.

From where he was sat in the library, Draco could hear Luna chattering away. He was only half listening but the constant stream of gibberish was helping him to stay calm as he searched for a solution to his newest hurdle. Where once the vanishing cabinet had not had the capability to transport living things at all, now it was. The only problem was when he had experimented with the spells he had found, parts of the birds were constantly being left behind, something which was fine with small birds of little importance but not so fine with angry and impatient death-eaters in the mood for blood. He had given up trying to use the spells he already had and had gone searching in the empty library whilst the rest of the school enjoyed quidditch.

He had smirked when Harry had been knocked off his broom, even more so when Luna had barely batted an eyelid. It was true, quidditch injuries were easily remedied but it still gave Draco a certain sense of satisfaction to know that maybe for once, someone cared more about his well-being than they did about Harry's.

He worked for the rest of the afternoon, writing down spells, making notes on apparition and splinching and anything that seemed to have some relevance to what was happening to the birds, all the while listening to Luna as she commentated. He once heard her wonder aloud about why some people hadn't turned up to such an entertaining quidditch match and assumed of course that it was directed at him, which it was.

As a loud cheer signalled the catching of the snitch and the end of the match, Draco shut the book he had been blankly staring at with a bang which even earned a 'shhh' from Madame Price, who had so far not even acknowledged his presence, and strolled out of the library, his head full of spells and determination.

Without much effort he had found Crabbe and Goyle in their dorm, stuffing their faces with an alarming amount of cake sent by their mothers who seemed to be convinced that Hogwarts never supplied enough food. With one bark of command, they shuffled unwillingly to stand outside the room of requirement having changed into their disguises.

And so once again it began. One bird after another went into the vanishing cabinet and came back in one way or another but all with one thing in common. They were all incomplete.

The final straw came for Draco when one of the birds returned missing its head. He sank to his knees, his head resting in defeat on the vanishing cabinet but he didn't cry. Crying was his release mechanism but he was so scared that even his body could see no way out. He felt physically sick and the room of requirement, living up to its name, helpfully supplied him with a bucket when the sickness became more than just a feeling. Draco told himself that it was the sight of the headless bird that had made him sick but no amount of lying could stop him from knowing the real reason had been fear. He had three months left... if he was lucky. The dark Lord was growing impatient, his mothers letters had warned him and who knew how long it would be before he took out his impatience on Draco's family or on Draco himself.

Rinsing out his mouth with the glass of water that had appeared next to him, Draco struggled to his feet. Weakness was not something he showed in front of his 'friends'. He had earned their friendship with aggression and it seemed the only way to keep it. Whilst he had no desire for friendship, he needed their help in his mission so it was worth putting up for them for that.

The polyjuice potion had worn off and when Draco arrived outside, he met with a pair of irritated idiots who made sure to tell him just about every issue they had dealt with within the past hour. He had managed to block them out as they walked back to the Slytherin Dungeon but it seemed that everything was meant to go wrong that night as a pair of familiar faces rounded the corner. Hermione looked as though she'd got a bee in her bonnet and as always Luna did not seem to be listening to a word she was saying something which, Draco noticed, annoyed her greatly.

His eyes met hers for a second, no longer, but it was enough to tell Draco that she had seen straight through his blank expression. They had just walked past but as Draco had feared, the boredom that had been driving his friends mad couldn't be contained when the two easiest targets in the school had so readily appeared.

With a cry of 'Oi, mudblood, only capable of having lunatics as friends now?' the confrontation began. Draco remained silent, watching the bumbling baffoons try to insult girls who had ten times their intelligence and all the while wishing he could be back in the common room.

'You're pathetic, getting your friends to fight your battles for you.'

The sarcastic demon within Draco emerged without thinking.

'At least my team work together. Can't say the same for your quidditch team can we? Personally, I blame the Captain.'

'Harry's doing a great job.'

Draco was beginning to feel a bit like his old self, petty arguments like this reminded him of better times.

'Of course he is, good result was it, Granger?'

'He was knocked off his broom you insesitive ferret!'

The insult barely registered, he was worse things than a ferret now.

Crabbe and Goyle were gabbling something in reply but Hermione wasn't listening. Draco had not replied and it was frustrating her.

'You look ill Draco. You should go see Madam Pomfrey.' Luna's voice rang out from behind Hermione and all at once the three who had been aguing stopped and looked in confusion, first at Luna, then at Draco, who now not only looked ill but also angry.

'I did not ask for your opinion, Loony. So if you and little miss mudblood would be so kind as to stop wasting my time, I have more important things to deal with.'  
>His voice was so cold that he could even see Luna struggling to see through it. He could see the confusion in her eyes as Hermione pulled her away but he kept his expression hard. Under no circumstances could anyone suspect that he had any contact with Luna other than meetings like these. He had a reputation and a mission on which too many people's lives already depended. He did not want to add her to the list by implying that he cared about her. His world was too dangerous to let anyone else in.<p>

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><p><strong>So sorry again for how long it's taken to update, I had a busy second week of easter and now I'm back at college so it's going to be even harder to update.<br>Just a word of warning. I have big exams coming up in the next six weeks so from now until the end of May I may not update that often. I will try though because I know how frustrating it can be to want to read the next chapter.  
>Thanks to everyone for your patience and reviews! <strong>


	26. Chapter 26

They had had no contact for well over a week and the effect was showing on Draco's face. He was exhausted, pale and looked as though he could suddenly faint at any moment. He would jump at any sudden movement and more than once he had lashed out at someone over trivial things. The first year he had hexed for standing on his toe was still in the hospital recovering and Crabbe was now sporting a massive bruise on the left side of his face from when he had made one too many stupid complaints for Draco to stand.

He felt as though he was constantly being watched and he was convinced he once saw the house elf he had lost because of Potter, peering out from behind one of the statues when he was walking past. But he was probably just seeing things, sleep deprivation did that to you.

Luna had been watching him. He had caught her staring several times at meal times but she had still made no effort to talk to him. But it was nearly the Easter holidays and Draco told himself that if he was going to be without Luna for two weeks anyway, a few extra days hardly mattered.

He had experienced a few jeers for Luna's comment but nothing he couldn't handle. Crabbe and Goyle were hardly any challenge for his natural wit.

Hermione on the other hand, had been more of a challenge for Luna. She had immediately questioned what contact Luna had ever had with Draco to make her concerned about his health and Luna had mumbled some explanation about caring for everyone, even if she didn't know them which she knew Hermione would blindly accept. She had accepted it, but she didn't look convinced.

Thankfully, when they reached the hospital, all was forgotten and Luna made a mental note to be more careful in future. She had chatted with Harry and Ron a little but for a majority of the time she had been thinking about Draco's reaction to her suggestion. Perhaps he was warning her that she was getting too close. So as hard as it was for her to do it, Luna decided that she would give him some space and not do anything unless he asked her to. At least until Easter.

But she couldn't avoid the signs, the largest of which was starting to annoy her. She knew Draco was using the room of requirement and that it was meant to be unplottable and inaccessible for everyone. Yet she had walked past the door a total of eleven times in the past few days and no matter how hard she tried to force it to disappear, it wouldn't. In fact, she had confused Cho immensely through her sudden need to rush towards a door Cho couldn't see, when they were on their way to the common room.

There were three days left until everyone went home for Easter and excitement was running high. Harry was almost becoming unbearable with his obsession with Draco and Luna had found it wiser to keep quiet about what she knew or the fact that the room of requirement was always open for her when Draco was inside, for her own safety.

She was walking aimlessly through the corridors, thinking about nothing of importance except what might be on the menu for lunch. It being towards the end of the term, she had been let out of one of her lessons early and she was enjoying the empty corridors. Her contemplation was rudely interrupted by Moaning Myrtle flying out of her bathroom, wailing as she went and she stopped, slightly stunned at the sudden volume of her squeals, just as Draco walked out of the bathroom.

Luna first thought was that she had seen pictures of corpses that looked more alive but it hardly seemed the appropriate thing to say so she kept her mouth shut.

There was a silent conversation in which Draco told Luna, without even saying a word, that he didn't need her and Luna managed to somehow, through one raise of her eyebrows, disagree. The exchange of expressions had ended with Luna grabbing Draco's hand as he walked past. He paused but pulled it free without even looking back.

And so Luna decided that giving him space hadn't been as wise as she thought and so when, later that afternoon, the room of requirement once again kept it's door open, she did not resist.

The door creaked as she entered but Draco was too preoccupied to even notice her until she was knelt next to him.

His head was bowed and his face was pulled into an expression so tortured and yet so calm, it hurt Luna to look. In his hands he clutched a small but very dead bird and Luna had a feeling that the fact that the bird was dead was upsetting for more than just sentimental reasons.

'The birds in that cage outside... they keep disappearing, don't they?'

'They don't disappear, I kill them.' There was deep anger in his voice but Luna could tell from the way his hold on the bird tightened that the only person it was directed at was Draco himself.

'You don't kill them on purpose though. You're not a killer, Draco. I don't think you're capable of that.'

'You don't know what I am, Loony. And you don't know what I'm capable of.'

Luna got to her feet, a smile hesitating to appear on her lips.

'I do know what you are.'

Draco watched her, unconvinced by her sudden burst of energy. 'Enlighten me.'

'You're a son and a nephew and a Hogwarts student and a Slytherin and a friend and an enemy and a seeker and...'

Draco slowly got to his feet, letting Luna rattle off his various labels. She paused for breath and Draco made his own addition to the list.

'Death-eater.'

Luna started to shake her head but Draco forced down his sleeve and pushed the dark tattoo into her face.

'well there's no point in hiding it any longer. Most of slytherin are already aware of it and at the rate Potter's going, the rest of the school will soon be gossiping about it.'

The bird was still clutched in his hand and so Luna gently prised open his fingers to take the dead fragile body in her own hands.

'How did the bird die?'

'I told you, I killed it.'

'Not deliberately.'

He wouldn't meet her eyes and Luna could see the argument going on inside his head. He wanted to tell her but he was too scared to.

'I used it for something and it died, that's all that matters.'

'But why did it di-'

Luna let out a gasp as Draco snatched the bird out of her hand and threw it across the expanse of junk that surrounded them.

'It died because it was _weak._' He turned, his eyes blazing and glistening with tears. 'Because it couldn't do what it was meant to do. Because it failed. But you have to make sacrifices, sometimes good people have to die.'

He was talking more to himself than Luna now, and Luna gently tapped his arm to remind him of her presence.

'We were talking about the birds, Draco. Not people.'

He heard the warning and stopped, out of breath from his outburst.

'People are weak too. It's much easier to kill someone than it is to keep them alive.'

'Practically, maybe but not morally. Your conscience makes it harder.'

Tears he had been fighting back began to spill out of Draco's eyes.

'but what if someone has no conscience? If someone is no use to them it makes more sense to not have to keep them alive.'

He was crying but he wasn't breaking down. Just letting the tears fall calmly. It was as if he had already accepted his fate and given up and in Luna's opinion, he had given up too early.

'You're not useless and Voldemort knows it. If I were him and I desperately wanted a job done, I wouldn't give it to a boy with no experience and offer him no assistance. He expects you to fail.' Luna's bluntness struck again.

'Hardly comforting, given the consequences if I do fail.' They were talking as if they were discussing business, not a matter of life and death but it was a tone Draco was familiar with. Life and death were matters discussed over his dinner table quite frequently now that his aunt and Voldemort were around. There was silence and Draco walked back over to where he had been sat with his pile of books, picked one of them up and then threw it down again as Luna began to speak.

'I've told my Dad I want to stay here for Easter. There's a few things I need to do.'

'I don't need you to keep an eye on me Loony.'

'I would have thought by now you'd realise that denying something won't make it go away.'

Draco realised then where their personalities were so different. He had given up when he could see no solution but Luna had the determination he lacked. Maybe having her to himself for two weeks wouldn't be a bad thing. When he gave her no answer, Luna continued with her plans.

'Maybe, just while it's just us. We could forget about sides and missions and just be ourselves?'

Luna looked so hopeful that Draco almost felt ashamed of himself when he laughed mockingly.

'When are you anything but your annoying, stupid self, Loony?' He slumped into a conveniently placed red armchair whilst Luna sat in one next to him.

There was silence again and so Luna decided to test something she had noticed.

'Draco?' when he looked up, she smiled warmly. 'Smile?'

When he shook his head, her smile vanished. 'Please?'

Draco's eyes closed in defeat. 'I can't. I have no reason to anymore.'

And so silently, Luna decided that during Easter, no matter what, she would convince Draco that there was a reason to keep going and she would see him smile.

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><p><strong>These chapters are getting longer and longer! Thanks again to everyone for being so patient and to the people who wished me luck on my exams. <strong>


	27. Chapter 27

'And you're sure you don't want us to stay with you? Or you could come and stay with us for the holidays, I'm sure mum wouldn't mind.'

Ginny had been trying to reason with Luna for the entire morning but all to no avail. She hadn't believed Luna's excuse of wanting to have some time to herself to study and had instead resorted to providing better options to try and tempt her. Luna smiled at her friend.

'I'll be alright. I've got lots to do and I know there'll be someone I can talk to.'

She looked across the hall to where Draco was sat eating his breakfast. Ginny followed her gaze and crinkled her nose.

'Malfoy's staying. That's bad luck. Oh well, as long as you're alright. I'll see you after Easter, Luna.'

Ginny got to her feet and hurried to meet Ron and the rest of her red haired family.

'She not coming then?' Ron looked over to where Luna was still sat reading her newest edition of the Quibbler.

'No, I can't imagine why she'd want to stay. Just her, Malfoy and a handful of people she doesn't know.'

Ron shrugged. 'It's Luna, she'll probably start talking to the trees if there's no-one else there.'

And with that, they waved their goodbyes and set off home.

From where he was sat at the top table, Dumbledore watched the looks exchanged between the two remaining blondes over the top of his teacup and smiled his wise smile. He was glad that in his last year as headmaster he was able to see something as rare and special as a friendship that left behind all past prejudices and it gave him comfort to know that although he could do nothing to help Draco, he could rely on Luna to stand by the troubled Slytherin as he struggled.

Draco had left moments earlier and as Luna stood up, she caught Dumbledore's eye. He nodded reassuringly and a slight smile appeared on her lips before she skipped off in the same direction as Draco. Yes, if there was one thing Dumbledore could rely on, it was that Luna would be loyal to whoever was lucky enough to earn her friendship.

Draco was waiting for her outside in one of the courtyards. He was leaning next to the door frame and she would have walked straight past him if he hadn't spoken.

'You didn't have to stay. You could have gone home. I wouldn't have cared.'

Luna tilted her head to one side in mock thoughtfulness. 'But then I never would have been able to complete my mission.'

Draco took a bite from the apple he had taken from breakfast and looked inquisitive. 'Mission?'

'To make you smile.'

'What makes you think I'll cooperate?'

'I think you want to smile too. You just need reason to.' As always, Luna's analysis was spot on.

'And you think you can give me that reason?'

'I can try.'

Without thinking about it, Draco had been constantly checking no-one was around. They were out in the open, talking as though they didn't hate each other as much as the world thought they did. The school was deserted. In total seven people had remained behind over the holidays. There were the three who didn't have families to go back to and who's friends could not have them. All from years below Luna. Then there were four who had chosen to stay. Apart from Draco and Luna there were two final year Ravenclaws who Luna knew were perfectionists. They were unlikely to ever surface from the library so to all intents and purposes, Draco and Luna were safe to do whatever they wanted without it getting back to their friends.

Draco still looked doubtful so Luna tried a different angle.

'This is the last normal holiday we're going to have. I don't know what, but I know something big is going to happen at the end of this year.' Draco's face was expressionless, revealing nothing to her. 'And what with this.' She took Draco's hand, pushing up his sleeve to see the dark mark. 'I don't think you'll be coming back next year unless Hogwarts changes for the worse. Our world is getting darker and darker and if we don't have happy memories to look back on, the dark will one day take us over completely.'

Draco was close to agreeing to do what she wanted. He wished is was all as easy as she made it seem but it wasn't.

'I'm not really up for your airy fairy happy clappy nonsense, Loony. I stayed at Hogwarts because I have a job to do. One that doesn't involve you. So if you know what's good for you, you'll keep out of my way.'

He pushed past her, the anger he had managed to work up growing with every step. Unfazed, Luna marched after him. Eventually the conflict inside Draco became too much. He was fighting between what he wanted to do and what he felt he had to do and it was all Luna's fault. He stopped dead, turned on her and like a cornered dog he began to snarl.

'Leave me alone, Loony. You're just like all the other pathetic little girls who bother me. You think somehow that you can change someone by being nice or pretending you care. You think with a few kind gestures I'll fall crying into your arms and become one of the good guys. Well I'm bad. I fight for the wrong side but it's. my. choice.'

Luna was taken aback by his outburst but to Draco's surprise she rose to the challenge.

'But it's not your choice. You've been so moulded by other people's opinions you can't listen to your own anymore. You're surrounded by so much darkness. What if one day that's all that's left? It'll consume you and you'll be blind to anything good! I don't want you to go blind!'

Her last analogy would have made Draco laugh in any other situation but the single tear that had managed to escape from Luna's right eye as she spoke stopped him.

She wasn't like other girls. Other girls had cried after or because of him. No other girl had ever cried for him.

'I'll do it. But on my terms.'

Luna nodded and smiled as though she had always known he would agree.

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><p><strong>It's getting dangerously close to exams now so I just thought I would do a quick update before they all start. Thanks again for the reviews and I promise that once exams are over I will get going with the updates!<strong>


	28. Chapter 28

Draco had taken one step out of the room of requirement when Luna was on him like a limpet.

'Are you done?'

Draco shrugged her hand off his shoulder and walked down the corridor, ignoring her completely.

Luna, satchel banging against her thigh as she ran, hurried after him and blocked his path.

'I said on my terms, Lovegood.'

The violence with which he spat her name indicated to Luna that his time in the room of requirement had not been productive. As he continued to march away from her she called after him.

'I'm going to feed the thestrals. They like apples too.'

It was such an odd thing to say that Draco stopped to try and find a deeper meaning in it. There didn't seem to be one so he turned to find her already standing right behind him.

'Just as mental as always, Loony. Perhaps I'll humour your madness for a while.'

Luna smiled as if he had agreed the first time she'd asked.

'Come on then.'

They were soon deep in the forbidden forest. The thestrals approached as soon as Luna arrived and handing Draco a lump of meat, the threw down a handful of apples.

They were silent for a while, just throwing various articles of food and watching as the thestrals ate gratefully.

'Who?'

Draco threw the meat and looked puzzled at Luna's way of breaking the silence.

'Who what?'

Luna passed him another piece of meat.

'They can only be seen by those who have seen death. You can see them.'

Draco threw the final piece of meat to the smallest thestral who gobbled it up hungrily.

'I'm a death-eater. Seeing death comes with the name.'

'But who?'

'No-one you would know or of any importance.'

He was walking back out of the forbidden forest before Luna even had chance to fasten up her bag. She skipped after him, finally drawing level with him as they reached the edge of the forest.

'Every life is important, Draco. That's why death haunts you long after you've seen it. It's not something you forget, is it?'

'But what if there's two people and only one can live? How do you judge who lives and who dies?'

They were walking across the grounds back towards Hogwarts observed only by the setting sun. It was peaceful but the constant hum of nature prevented them from feeling as though they could be overheard.

'I don't think it's anyone's place to determine who has the right to live.'

'But if you had to make a choice?'

Luna stopped walking, her eyes full of suspicion at his persistence. 'I... I don't know.'

She was staring straight ahead to the silhouette of Hogwarts, her face drained of blood as it finally dawned on her what Draco was suggesting. Her view was cut off as Draco stepped in front of her.

'What if it was the choice between your own death and the death of someone else? How do you choose?'

Luna was searching the ground with her eyes as though she was looking for a way around Draco's question. She met his eyes and gulped.

'I think...'

'You would sacrifice yourself.' Draco nodded. 'That's why you're on the good side.'

There was no anger in his voice, only relief. Luna knew why. The saying was true that a problem shared was a problem halved because now that Luna knew the stakes, Draco wasn't alone in his attempts to survive. He knew, just as Luna did, that she would search for a way to keep him alive whilst doing the right thing and she would probably be more successful than him.

Luna watched him re-enter the Hogwarts building before she let her knees buckle. All the air had left her and she suddenly gasped as she realised she had forgotten to breathe.

Because now she knew so much more. Voices were coming from all different sides of her head, telling her the right thing to do and others were coming from her heart, contradicting them completely.

Someone was going to die. Draco's mission was more serious than fixing an old cupboard. She had just told him that the right thing to do would be to die. Although, she hadn't actually said that. He'd assumed that.

For once the brain full of lateral thinking which had earned her a place in Ravenclaw failed her. She was at a loss.

There was so much more at stake, so much that Luna wished she didn't know any more.

If Draco succeeded, someone else had to die. If he didn't, he died himself. It was simple. No way out. But there had to be way out. There was always a way out.

Luna's mind was going so fast you could almost hear it buzzing.

The person who had to die must be important for Draco's life to be at stake.

But if the death of the person is so important, why trust it to a young, inexperienced death-eater and offer him no assistance?

That would mean that they didn't expect him to succeed.

Which would mean that Voldemort intended for Draco to fail.

And Luna reached the same conclusion that Narcissa Malfoy had reached a few months earlier.

Voldemort was intending that Draco should die.

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><p><strong>And so it begins! Don't worry I have fluff planned but this chapter just wrote itself which is why I've managed to update whilst in the middle of my exams.<br>Thanks again to reviewers!**


	29. Chapter 29

Draco had been avoiding Luna.

He didn't like how she made him feel. She made him question what was really important and his motives for his actions. At the beginning of the year it had been so simple. Voldemort had given him his mission and he could honestly say he was excited. His father had spent many an hour proclaiming how much better it was to work for voldmort than it was to work for the ministry. Of course it was only the kind of talk that went on behind closed doors but it had impacted the impressionable mind of a young Draco. He was brought up with the image of Voldemort being the saviour of the purebloods who would cleanse the wizarding world of those who had infiltrated it and made it dirty. Voldemort was the superhero in all of Draco's bedtime stories.

And he had chosen Draco. Out of all his followers, he had chosen Draco to take on such an important mission. Of course, people didn't think he could do it but Draco was going to prove them wrong. Even his own mother who for his entire life had worshipped the ground Draco stood on and told him he could achieve anything, had gone snivelling to Snape for help.

Yes, at the start of the year the only thought on Draco's mind was to prove them wrong. For once, someone had noticed him and after so many years of constantly being told he was not good enough, he had seized the opportunity to show everyone otherwise.

But it was no longer the beginning of the year and it was no longer simple.

Because no matter what he wanted to prove, Draco was not a killer.

The shiny covering had come down and the reality of what he had to do had set in. There were times when Draco really believed he could do it and then moments when sheer desperation set in and he tried an alternative. The necklace and wine had failed and Dumbledore was away so much Draco had one option left. He would have to kill Dumbledore face to face.

And just when Draco was coming to terms with what he was sure was his fate, Luna had appeared, telling him that there was probably a way out if he could find it.

Draco had escaped his guilt for so long by telling himself he had no option. If Dumbledore lived, Voldemort would kill his whole family. But Luna had reminded him that there were always choices to be made. He didn't have to kill Dumbledore but he was too much of a coward to sacrifice himself willingly. Luna was his conscience and death-eaters were not meant to have consciences.

He had got nowhere with the vanishing cabinet. Four days of distracting himself from his emotions had proved fruitless. Now, when the time came, there was still no passage between Hogwarts and the outside world.

It was Thursday and the weather was dismal. Draco had been woken up by the rain battering the ground above the Slytherin dungeon. He was the only Slytherin who had stayed and there was an eerie silence around the common room. Those of age and with permission were allowed to go to Hogsmeade later today and Draco had no doubt that Luna would be going.

Sure enough, obviously fed up of him avoiding her, Luna appeared outside the door to the Slytherin dungeon. She had the Easter edition of the quibbler held up in front of her face.

'Hogsmeade is quite quaint, don't you think? It'll be a shame if it ever changes.'

Draco snatched the Quibbler out of the Ravenclaw's hand.

'You are the most irritatingly persistent person I have ever had the displeasure to meet, Loony. And this,' He gestured with the crumpled magazine. 'Is pathetic, useless drivel.' He dropped the magazine on the floor.

'You can be cruel, Draco.' Luna crouched down to pick it up. 'I don't think you want to be...' she stood up, looking over her shoulder at Draco who had begun to move away.

'But people are unkind and it makes you bitter, doesn't it?'

She was being deliberately vague but at her words, faces that still scared Draco now crawled to the front of his mind. He turned round to face Luna, so close, their noses were almost touching.

'The world thinks I'm cruel, Loony. I see no need to prove them wrong.'

The altercation had almost made Luna forget her real purpose for lurking in the corridor at this time of the morning.

'The Three Broomsticks, one O clock.'

'Enjoy wasting an afternoon on being stood up, do you?'

Luna's eyes earnestly met Draco's.

'I'll wait for you.'

'Well I hope you enjoy humiliation.'

Luna smiled. 'I don't enjoy it, but I can bear it. I find hope is a much stronger emotion.'

'There's no hope, Lovegood. Only fools hope because in the end, it amounts to disappointment.'

Luna walked past Draco, towards breakfast, answering just as she went through the door.

'I am a fool then, but I will wait.'

And wait, she did.

* * *

><p><strong>Only one exam left to go and then I have freedom! Thank you to everyone for being patient and as always, reviews are appreciated!<strong>


	30. Chapter 30

She waited and she watched. She watched as teachers, students, townsfolk came and went. She heard gossip about the happenings in the town, rumours, bitching, arguments and an old woman who was looking for a lost cat. The Three Broomsticks could never be described as being a boring place to sit but Luna couldn't help feeling let down. She had known all along that he wouldn't turn up and yet she could help feeling hopeful every time the bell rang signalling someone's entry. But the day was wearing on and eventually she rose from her seat, thanked Rosmerta cheerfully for the butterbeer and left, feeling every set of eyes pinned to her back.

It was spring and the snow that seemed to cover Hogsmeade for most of the year had melted. The streets looked empty without it but all the more atmospheric in the drizzling rain. It was almost six o clock and the evening had brought a cold wind with it. People were beginning to go back to their homes and the square was busy. They had been given no set time to be back at Hogwarts so Luna started to amble aimlessly along the road, enjoying the change of scenery.

She stopped mid step as she noticed Draco. He was stood leaning against one of the houses opposite the three broomsticks watching her. A happy smile crawled across Luna's face. Things had gone just as she hoped they would. She had barely said hello before he

grabbed her shoulders and pulled her into the alleyway between the two houses, out of view.

'I'm the son of a very well known family, Loony. Anyone could be watching. And what in merlin's name are you grinning about?'

Luna shook her head.

'Oh nothing. I'm just happy.'

'Well good for you Lovegood.' Draco didn't try to hide the sarcasm as he shoved his hands in his pockets.

'Because you've reminded me that there's still hope.'

Draco was about to snuff out her happiness but before he could speak Luna suddenly looked at the sky, gasped and grabbing his hand, she pulled him down the alley and through several streets until they stopped next to a small, overgrown pond.

Out of breath from the sudden burst of activity, Luna continued to speak.

'Because you came to Hogsmeade, even if you didn't come to the three broomsticks. I don't think you would have come if you were completely bad. I think you need to realise that.'

'So that was the point of inviting me? To convince you that you could save me.'

They were both staring straight out ahead at the pond. They were still holding hands but neither of them made a move to change anything. It seemed natural and free, a feeling so familiar to Luna and so unfamiliar to Draco.

'You can only save someone when they want to be saved.'

'By all means, Lovegood, feel free to save me whenever you feel like it.'

'That sounds more like the old Draco.'

Draco turned his head in puzzlement. 'Old Draco?'

Luna was studying the horizon as though searching for something.

'The Draco from before Christmas. He seemed...' She tilted her head obscurely as if it somehow helped her to think more clearly. 'less burdened.'

'Things happened over Christmas.'

The lack of eye contact had been broken as Luna moved to block Draco's line of view.

'Not nice things?'

'What do you think?'

Their conversation was halted by a distinct buzzing sound that seemed to be coming from the pond. Luna's eyes lit up and she shushed Draco before he could even start to question.

'Just watch.'

As if out of nowhere, thousands of tiny, golden lights emerged from the undergrowth surrounding the pond. Then, as if someone had given them a cue, they all simultaneously flew up into the air and began to swarm, forming patterns and shapes above the pond. It was a sight like nothing Draco had ever seen before. Slowly, as though to not startle them, Luna sat down on the grass, pulling Draco down next to her.

'They're light elves. Sometimes, if you're on top of Ravenclaw tower you can see them.'

Draco turned as Luna whispered to him but his eyes kept darting to the hypnotic spectacle in front of him.

'They're usually very shy but there's a week, I've been watching you see, there's a week every three months where they dance and play. All week. And it was this week, so I thought I'd show you. They're not the most interesting but I think they're beautiful.'

There was a light in Luna's eyes that didn't come from the elves. This was where her passion lay. With creatures and their lives. The beauty of the situation could not be denied. It was so dazzling that Draco felt calmed and energized all at once and he felt as though his worries had disappeared or at least they no longer mattered. Then as suddenly as the light elves had appeared, they disappeared and the mood was gone.

'You're the only person I've ever shown them to. No-one else would come. They didn't believe that they existed when I told them, that's why I didn't tell you why we were here. I thought you wouldn't come if I told you.'

She was still whispering. The effect of the elves had still not lifted and there was an atmosphere of complete calm and trust. Luna had revealed a part of herself and so, without thinking, Draco did the same.

'My mother is terrified. She spent the entire holiday trying to help me or offering to take my place. And she cried. When she thought I wouldn't hear her. She. Never. Stopped. Crying.'

Draco was talking through gritted teeth as he tried to stop the tears from falling, his eyes fixed on the pond where now only ripples showed any sign of the night's events.

'She doesn't understand. If I fail, he'll kill her too. But she never cries for herself. It's always me. What about her life? Why doesn't she care about her own life?'

Luna sighed 'Because that's love, Draco. And I think the strongest love of all is between a mother and her child.'

'We need to get back to Hogwarts.' And that was that. The moment had passed.

But as he got to his feet, Draco realised he felt different. He was still terrified and the mission was still at the back of his mind but that was where it was. At the back. It was as though he had put it on a shelf to think about later rather than it hanging over him like a rain cloud.

He offered Luna his hand as she got up without thinking and seemed surprised when she took it.

He was a faster walker and he had longer legs so he reached Hogwarts long before Luna.

Which meant she had no idea that he saw her trip as she entered the grounds daydreaming.

And she never saw the half-hearted smile that flew across his lips for a fleeting moment.

A smile that, never the less, reached his eyes.

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><p><strong>Oh my, 30 chapters! This is now officially my longest fanfiction! I don't know what it was about this chapter, but I loved writing it. I was toying with the ending, playing it through in my head and trying to fit it all together with the chapters I've alread planned and it suddenly all seemed to make sense. <strong>

**As always, reviews are wonderful and give me motivation so if I'm taking forever, please don't hesitate to tell me to hurry up because if I know people are waiting, I feel a greater need to update faster. Thanks again for patience and support x**


	31. Chapter 31

For the last Friday of the Easter holidays, Dumbledore had planned a party. Slughorn, who had returned a few days early to 'get prepared', had used his contacts to invite some of the past members of the slug club and the great hall had been decorated in a cheerful, slightly gaudy but still uplifting manner. There had been no choice of attendance for those staying at Hogwarts. Dumbledore had made it quite clear at breakfast that Thursday that all were required to attend, to the annoyance of most. Luna of course was overjoyed at the idea. Draco seemed to be less enthusiastic.

Since their meeting at the pond in the first week of the holidays, Draco had been less reluctant to spend time with Luna. Their meetings brought relief and peace into his world of chaos and he found himself looking forward to them. But today was the last day he had without the pressure of lessons or extra people to contend with and he wasn't going to waste it. No thanks to Dumbledore he had already lost the evening. It would be too easily noticed if he wasn't there and he was determined to keep on the good side of the headmaster in an attempt to avoid suspicion. So Draco had decided. He was not going to see Luna today.

But as he stepped out of his dormitory and into the Slytherin common room he realised his day was not going to go as planned. Because standing, her face pressed against the glass that looked into the black lake, was Luna.

'How in merlin's name-'

'You had the password written on your hand.' Luna had detached her face from the glass and turned her attention on the clearly agitated Slytherin.

'Something's troubling you, otherwise you'd be able to remember the password without writing it on your hand.'

Draco rolled his eyes and flopped down on one of the leather sofas.

'observant, aren't you, Lovegood?'

Luna shook her head, sitting on the floor next to one of the tables and absent mindedly scanning over the scattered papers that covered it.

'Stress happens when you don't think you are capable of accomplishing what you perceive needs to be accomplished.' Luna's airy voice broke through the silence.

'Your point is?'

Luna held up one of the scattered sheets.

'None of these essays are finished.'

'I don't think Voldemort is really interested in my school work. What grade I got in charms class is hardly going to matter. And since it's unlikely I'll live to see another school year if I fail...' Draco drifted off, looking uncomfortable. When Luna continued to study the essay in her hand, he got up and, taking hold of her wrist, he pulled her to her feet and marched her towards the common room door. He placed one hand on the handle and began to turn it just as Luna's own hand landed on top of his and tried to turn it the other way.

'I'll finish the essays for you. Just don't...'

Draco's hold on the handle loosened slightly at her sudden change in expression. She seemed to be mirroring his own desperation but Draco could not think of any possible reason that would cause her to look as she did.

'Don't send me away.'

Draco let go of her wrist in defeat, snarling slightly that he wasn't getting what he wanted like he was used to.

'I have one day left Lovegood and you're making me waste time. What if I fail and my entire family are murdered? Could you really live with that on your conscience?'

Luna, now free from Draco's hold, tore her eyes from his and marched back to where she had been sat before he disrupted her.

'I'll just finish your essays and then I'll go.'

Before Draco could protest, she picked up the nearest piece of paper and a quill and began to read. Accepting his defeat, Draco grabbed his wand from the table and sat down, spell book in hand, to do some research.

'Fine. But keep quiet.'

There was silence with the occasional hiss from Draco's wand as he attempted new spells.

'These are good!' Luna placed the last essay down on the table and turned to look at a startled Draco.

'Don't sound so surprised, Lovegood. I'm not Longbottom.'

'But they're really good, better than some of the Ravenclaws'

Draco snorted. 'Everyone says Slytherin's the stuck up house but you Ravenclaws just think you know everything, don't you? How do you expect to finish my essays anyway, you're not even in my year, idiot?'

Luna scribbled a final sentence on the page, tapped it with her wand and handed it to Draco with a smile.

'I do a lot of reading. I like books, they're like friends that you're never in danger of losing.' She had begun to daydream as she spoke and a quick shake of her head brought her dizzily back to reality.

'Sometimes people ask me to write for them. I can imitate writing styles and handwriting almost exactly now but I still use the hand writing spell just to make it perfect.'

Draco scanned over his now finished essay and realised there was no way of telling where his work had ended and Luna's had begun.

'Handwriting spell?'

'I made it up. It's fun having a spell that no-one else knows about.'

When Draco didn't reply, Luna went back to her writing and waited for Draco to say whatever he was thinking so deeply about. There was a deep crease in his forehead and his eyebrows were almost touching in concentration. Eventually he spoke.

'If something was broken and you had tried everything but you couldn't fix it completely, what would you do?'

Luna put down her quill and turned to meet Draco's eyes.

'I would wait. Because things that are the most damaged take the longest to heal.'

And that was their last conversation that day. Luna finished the essays and left, just as she had promised she would and Draco had sat, pretending to read but in fact contemplating Luna's words. Her expression as she spoke was still clear in his mind, even when he was getting changed for the party.

She had meant him. She had meant that he was broken. Was he broken? And if he was, could he be fixed?

* * *

><p><strong>I've not updated in sooooo long! I'm so sorry. It's getting quite close to the end of HBP now so I'm facing a dilema. Should I continue with deathly hallows within this title or do it in a kind of 'volumes' thing with the next book as a seperate story?<br>Next chapter will be up tomorrow as I only have to proof read it. **


	32. Chapter 32

It was a few minutes into the 'party' and already Luna was deep in conversation with one of the many notable guests, discussing her concern for the effect global warming could have on the genetic variation of dirigible plums. He seemed to be nodding along politely but it was clear to everyone except Luna that he had no interest at all in her company.

Draco strolled into the room and assessed that it was going to be a long night. He had changed his usual black shirt for a white one, a small difference but not small enough for it to go unnoticed. It made him look less threatening somehow.

You could not, on the other hand, miss Luna. Although she did not look unattractive, her lime green dress stood out among the more subdued blacks and pastels. Her dress was halter-neck and floaty, with so many layers of thin, graceful material, Draco wondered how you couldn't hear her rustle she walked. Green flowers adorned one side of the dress, starting at the left shoulder and trailing around the skirt. She reminded Draco of something but he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was.

Draco watched the party from afar, sipping a glass of punch which, much to his surprise seemed to contain something a bit stronger than butterbeer and fruit juice. His eyes took in every face but he could find no possible culprit so he assumed that perhaps the punch hadn't been spiked and continued to drink it contentedly.

Luna met his eyes as he entered but for once she seemed aware of people's opinions and until the time came for them to all sit down around one lavishly decorated table, she didn't even speak one word to him.

When Dumbledore had stood up and announced that food was served, Draco put down his glass, took one step and realised he must had drunk more than he thought. After steadying himself he sat down at his place, which coincidently, or not so as Draco immediately thought, was next to Luna.

She smiled as he sat down.

'Dumbledore said the house elves have been working all day. I hope there's pudding.'

Draco rolled his eyes at her unhealthy obsession and rested his elbows on the table, his chin leaning on his hand.

He hated meal times at home, at hogwarts, anywhere that required him to make polite conversation whilst eating. He thought it was such a waste of valuable time.

'Do you want some?'

It took Draco a second to realise that Luna was offering him something from one of the many plates of food. He shook his head without looking at what he was rejecting and went back to picking at the food already on his plate, letting Luna chat away happily.

When the table was close to empty and Luna seemed to have eaten her fill of pudding, the food disappeared and Dumbledore stood up.

'My dear friends and honoured guests, I would like to thank you all for attending and ask that you continue to enjoy the rest of this evening as much as I have already enjoyed it.'

As if on cue, music began to play out of nowhere from all angles of the hall.

A smile that seemed to stretch to both of her ears covered Luna's face.

'It's so cheerful don't you think? It makes up for having to stay at school for the holidays.'

Draco shrugged. 'Some of us didn't have a choice.'

Luna's smile vanished at the sudden seriousness of Draco's voice just as Dumbledore appeared behind her. Most of the guests were already out of their seats dancing and talking.

'For some, Miss Lovegood, Hogwarts is home and I don't think a home is complete without fun and laugher. And I do enjoy a good party.' He made as though to walk away but turned back suddenly.

'And if Mr Malfoy doesn't ask you to dance soon, you ask him.' He winked and walked back to talk with another of the guests.

It was barely a whisper but Draco heard and begrudgingly offered Luna his hand, glaring at the headmaster who's death he should be planning. He made the excuse that with his head as clouded as it was, he wouldn't have any success in murdering him if he tried so he might as well try to enjoy himself, not that dancing with Luna would be enjoyable.

It was the dance they had danced at the yule ball. Draco had been drilled through it so many times that he managed without thinking. Only when they had done the whole sequence three times did he question Luna's knowledge of the dance.

'Ginny went to the ball with Neville. She made me learn it with her so she could practise.'

They must have been round the hall at least twice now and the spinning combined with alcohol was making Draco feel nauseous. Without warning, he let go of Luna's hands and marched outside, leaving Luna stranded on her own.

She was soon rescued by a man she assumed must know her Father as the first thing he commented on was the difference in her height since he had last seen her. He was talking about his son but the only thing Luna had managed to take in was that he was a couple of years older than her and that they would get on very well.

Without trying to seem rude, she excused herself and followed in the direction of Draco.

In an almost exact repeat of their meeting at the beginning of the holidays, Draco was leaning against the door frame and Luna continued in a daze without looking back.

Only this time, Draco didn't speak. He had realised what, dressed as she was, Luna reminded him of.

In the grounds of Malfoy Manor there were statues. They captured the images of family members, famous wizards and in some cases, the mythical beings which corresponded to the names of the family members. Draco could remember being afraid of the statue of the dragon from which his name came when he was a toddler. Looking back, it was clear he was a coward from the beginning.

But in that moment, as Luna had stepped into the moonlight, her skin had been turned a ghostly white and Draco had been transported back to when he was a small boy and he would hide from his father when he was in trouble. There was a marble statue on which the girl was sat on a crescent moon. It was old, cracked and the constant rain had worn away the intricate patterns that were once there but in their place, ivy had grown, weaving its own patterns around the girl. It was behind this statue that Draco had often hidden and Luna, with her face white as stone, green dress floating in the wind, looked like a moving version of it.

The similarities making him dizzy, Draco forced himself to walk towards her. He drew level and she pointed to the sky.

'Which constellation is Draco?'

Draco began to search the sky, his eyes scanning the stars in a way that Luna found almost unnerving

'Just there. Look at that tower and then directly up.' Luna followed his instructions and soon spotted it.

'It's beautiful. I suppose one day you'll name one of your children after one of those stars. It's your family's tradition, isn't it?'

Draco shook his head. The whole night's experience had felt surreal and he felt carefree. It was dangerous to talk about what you did and did not want. Draco had learned that from growing up. He did what other people wanted him to do, thought what other people told him he should think and acted as he had seen other people act.

But drink and confusion had made him forget the danger.

'I don't want children. It's just the thought of having someone so utterly dependent upon you. Knowing that every action, every word you say could change them for the rest of their lives... I'm not father material.'

'That's why you're safe.'

Draco looked down at Luna's thoughtful face.

'At least attempt to make sense, Loony. I'm not fluent in babbling idiot.'

'Your family. It's about as pure blood as they get, wouldn't you say? And Voldemort values blood purity above anything. He needs you for breeding stock.' It was as if she wasn't speaking to him anymore, just thinking aloud in her dreamy voice.

'Well you're not exactly mudblood yourself, Lovegood.'

Luna suddenly gripped his arm in excitement and pointed again to the sky.

'Make a wish, Draco.'

Draco had seen the shooting star and although of course he didn't believe in such rubbish, in the back of his mind he made the smallest of requests.

Luna had closed her eyes as she made her wish, her arms still wrapped around his.

'What did you wish for, Loony?'

Luna let go of his arm, smiling.

'I've already told you.'

From where he was stood in the astronomy tower, Dumbledore saw the next few moments unfold. He watched Luna skip away and Draco consider for barely a second before going after her. He saw Draco catch her wrist and kiss her before she had even looked round.

Dumbledore shook his head sadly.

They had been thrown together and a bond had formed. In fact, watching them throughout the evening, Dumbledore couldn't even determine if their connection could even be considered friendship. It was a reliance on each other that kept them together, that was all and there were a million and one things that forced them apart. The kiss was not one of affection, it was a way for Draco to express emotions that he couldn't put into words. Emotions that he was unfamiliar and uncomfortable with.

Dumbledore couldn't help feeling relief at the night's events. There was no love between them. At least none that could put them in danger. The potential was there and the headmaster was sure that, if circumstances had been more kind, their relationship would be different.

But of course, if circumstances had been more kind, they probably would have never met.

* * *

><p><strong>I just decided to check up on my stats and wowza! This is my most popular fanfiction by a mile so thanks a lot everyone!<br>As always, reviews are great and keep my motivation going.**


	33. Chapter 33

Luna was sat leaning against a tree, the events of the last evening playing over in her mind. Draco hadn't been at breakfast and she had seen no sign of him all morning. She had even walked past the room of requirement. Either he wasn't in there or he specifically didn't want to see her because the door didn't even appear.

It was the last taste of freedom before everyone returned to Hogwarts that evening and she was feeling deflated. She had failed her mission. She had tried every idea she could think of and still the corners of Draco's mouth had remained firmly in their usual place.

Her eyes strayed down from the cloud she had been studying to the banks of the lake. Standing there, black suit sleeves rolled up around his elbows, was Draco. Luna blinked twice, wondered how she hadn't spotted him before now and concluded that she must have been too far inside her own head to see him.

Draco didn't notice her as she sipped down to join him, or if he did he didn't show it. He was skimming stones across the lake and Luna, taking the opportunity to express her knowledge on the subject, picked up a pebble, brushed the sand from it and handed it to Draco.

'They have to be flat, don't they? And smooth?'

Draco took the stone without a word and threw it across the lake. Luna's head nodded as it bounced.

'Six, impressive.'

When Draco only shrugged and went to pick up another stone, Luna continued to fill the silence.

'I didn't think you'd be down here today, what with it being the last day before everyone gets back.'

Again Draco only shrugged and Luna tried again, a suspicious look in her eyes.

'What's changed?'

Luna's eyes followed his every move as he picked up another round pebble and launched it expertly into the middle of the lake.

'Something's different. It's as though you're not carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders any more. Is that why you're not working? Is it fixed?'

Draco stopped his arm mid throw to look at her.

'You were right.' He finished his throw, watching pebble fly high into the air and silently fall into the lake before turning on his heel and walking back up the bank back to Hogwarts, Luna scuttling beside him.

At Luna's raised eyebrows he continued.

'About the most broken things needing time. Luckily I know spells that can speed up the process but now it's just a waiting game.'

Luna nodded. 'I'm glad. Not about the cabinet being fixed because that would be betraying Harry but I'm glad you're more content. It makes me feel better about failing.'

'Failing?'

They were talking so casually that it never crossed Draco's mind to be condescending or cruel. It was as though sheer relief had made him forget his place and now he was making polite conversation with a girl who should naturally be his enemy.

Luna nodded guiltily in reply to his question.

'I never made you smile like I said I would. Come to think of it, I can only think of one time I've actually seen you genuinely smile.'

They were walking back towards Hogwarts at such a slow pace that they might as well have just been stood still.

'And when was that?' Again the polite questions were out of his mouth without thinking. It was as though he was back to being the Draco of last year, when his primary concern was charming as many Slytherin girls as he could manage.

Luna stopped as though she was trying to place the image she had in her mind. One corner of her mouth was pulled up at such an angle it distorted her entire face and made her look quite comical.

'During the triwizard tournament. That quidditch player from Durmstrang sat on your table. You smiled then. I remember thinking about how much it changed your face. You looked like a completely different person.'

'He was my idol, I was hardly going to be miserable.' The defences were back up, something about Luna's tone had made him remember who he was and who he was speaking to and the sharpness had returned to his voice, not that Luna noticed the difference.

'But you were happy and it made me think, why had I never seen you happy before? You seemed to show all other emotions, but never happiness.'

'You were quite the stalker, weren't you, Loony?'

Luna shrugged. 'I like to watch people. They're interesting. Do you want to have a picnic?'

She spoke all three sentences in the exact same tone, her voice not even rising at the end of the last one to show it was a question so Draco's look of complete bafflement and confusion at the sudden request was completely understandable.

He didn't even have chance to ask her to repeat the question before she had skipped off towards Hogwarts, shouting at him to stay where he was standing.

She reappeared a few minutes later, a basket balanced over one arm and a grin the size of Africa spread across her face.

'The house elves can be so kind! Look at all the food they gave us!'

It was with that single 'us' that Draco realised he had lost his chance to escape and, accepting his fate of having to spend the rest of his free time pretending to listen to Loony Lovegood, he followed her and sat down where she told him to.

It was like a scene from a book. In fact, until that moment, Draco had been convinced that situations like this only happened in stories. It all felt too perfect and right to be real. After all the disaster and panic, things seemed to be going as planned for once. The vanishing cabinet would be ready in time, his school work was completed, the sun was shining and he could, if only for one afternoon, relax. Bringing a drink to his lips, he sighed and began to tune in to what Luna was saying.

'So.. if a turtle didn't have a shell, would it be homeless or naked?'

His mouth still full of pumpkin juice, Draco sniggered and immediately started to choke. Luna barely noticed the light that seemed to appear in his eyes or the smile that had crept across his face as she half-heartedly continued her train of thought and asked him to pass her an apple.

The smirk still plain on his face, Draco handed Luna the apple.

'You've succeeded, I've smiled, now cheer up.'

As Luna took the apple, their eyes met and the same thought struck them. Luna's eyes grew wide and the smile slowly faded from Draco's face.

Because suddenly the roles had reversed and it was Draco trying to make Luna smile. And when had Draco Malfoy ever cared about the happiness of anyone but himself? The change was too sudden and it took them both by surprise.

Luna broke first, a smile creeping across her face as she bit into the apple, her beady eyes still fixed on Draco who started to feel self conscious.

'What are you staring at, Loony?'

'I was just thinking this is what it must feel like when Harry puts his glasses on. Like your seeing the person as they really are rather than what your eyes tell you they look like. I like it.'

At the back of his mind voices were screaming warnings at Draco. He had let his walls down all too easily and in front of one of Potter's friends of all people. He had forgotten his worries for a moment and felt almost human again and he was going to enjoy the feeling for as long as he could.

'People say laughter is the best medicine but I think you only need to smile. Sometimes, if you smile, you can convince yourself that everything is fine even when it isn't and it makes you feel better.'

Luna broke through the silence with her dreamy opinions and though outwardly Draco rolled his eyes, inwardly he agreed. He did feel better and even if this evening everything returned to the way it was, he had enjoyed his last few moments as a schoolboy.

His last free moments before the prison doors locked.

But as everyone knows, time flies when your having fun and although their conversations could not be described as fun, midday soon turned to afternoon and evening was creeping ever closer. It seemed no time at all before the picnic was packed up and returned to the kitchen and Luna and Draco were making their way back along the corridors to their common rooms.

Luna ran her fingers along the brick of the walls, stopping to look out of the window at the darkening sky.

'These walls hold a lot of secrets. Not all of them good ones.'

As Draco came up behind her to look out of the window, she smiled.

'And now they hold our secrets!'

Draco scowled. His good mood was slowly disappearing as each minute brought him closer to his reunion with his followers.

'As long as they don't talk, I don't care.'

He should have walked away but he didn't. Something kept him glued to the ground beside Luna, watching as rain began to fall.

'It's strange. Everything's so peaceful.'

'Your point is?'

'Tomorrow, everything will go back to how it was before, Won't it? Back to the war and playing enemies and completing impossible tasks.'

Gently Luna squeezed Draco's hand.

'I'm glad I stayed.'

Then with a final smile and a skip she was on her way to Ravenclaw tower.

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><p>So close to 100 reviews! It's so exciting!<br>And I know.. it's been like several weeks and I'm a horrible person for making you all wait so I'm sorry. I've been rather ill and as I've been trying to plod my way through college I've literally been getting home and going straight to bed so there's been no time for creativity but there you go.  
>The next chapter may be a while since I have literally no idea what's going to happen. Any requests for situations would be welcome since they're not at Hogwarts for much longer! Ooo errr!<p> 


	34. Chapter 34

Just as Luna had predicated, the days at Hogwarts did indeed fall back into the normal routine of Draco and Luna pretending to be completely unaware of the others presence. Lessons were tiresome and the days were growing ever longer and warmer. Luna spent her days longing for her care of magical creatures lessons when she could spend time outside of the stuffy, humid classrooms.  
>There was talk of the apparitions test which Luna wouldn't be able to take for another year and general chatter about what people had done over the holidays. Harry it seemed, had spent about as much time puzzling over Draco as Luna had and after a swift conversation at breakfast, Luna had managed to find out what he knew and how he knew it, although she was sure that following Hogwarts students around was probably not what house elves were meant to do. She, of course, could tell no one about how she had really spent her holidays but she found that with a few choice words she could easily navigate the conversation back to what the other person had done and they would very quickly forget that she hadn't actually answered them. All in all, Luna decided that she didn't like normality too much.<br>'Miss Lovegood, do you intend to start paying attention in my lesson any time soon or will I have to repeat its entire contents in detention?'  
>Luna blinked dazedly as she finally realized Snape was addressing her. She hastily told him no and apologized before scowling to herself. It wasn't like her to not pay attention in lessons and even if she did daydream, she wasn't careless enough to let herself get caught. She knew what, or rather who, was to blame for her distraction and she silently made an agreement with herself to eradicate him from her mind.<br>Draco was clearly not as strong willed. Finding he was unable to get what the dotty Ravenclaw had said out of his head and realising that his plans were ruined by Dumbledore being away from Hogwarts, he made new plans. Plans that, as much as it frustrated Draco, involved Luna.

And so the next morning, when Luna received an owl containing an edition of the quibbler, no-one paid much attention. She got them often enough. But if anyone had looked closer, they would have seen that in fact many things did not quite add up. Firstly, that particular edition of the quibbler was from five months ago. Secondly, several pen marks soiled the front cover and, on closer inspection, about a third of the inside pages. And finally, a certain Slytherin was watching extra closely to ensure his message had been received.  
>It was Saturday and enjoying the lack of lessons, Luna spent the morning decoding Draco's message. There was a significance to the date or rather the day. 'Sunday' was underlined, as was the number nine on the contents page. So with a day and time figured out, all that was left was the location.<br>Three sets of numbers which, after a couple of experiments, Luna found to be page numbers, the line on that page and finally the number of the word on that line, told her that she was meeting Draco, as she had thought, in the room of requirement.

When he finally entered, Draco shut the heavy wooden door behind him and stared wonderingly at the peculiar sight that he beheld. The room was as he had never seen it before: empty, bare and in every possible way, useless to Draco. Luna was sat on the only object in the room: a small wooden chair.  
>It was a Sunday morning and school uniforms of course were not required, not that Draco dressed any differently whatever day it was. Black never want out of fashion and it aided in giving him the unwelcoming aura he worked so hard to maintain.<br>Luna, as was always the case, was Draco's complete opposite. She was wearing such a mish-mash of colours that it looked as though she had fallen through a rainbow. Her tights were striped with blues and purple of just about every shade and over them she wore a deep blue skirt dotted with gold and silver stars of all different sizes. Her shoes were a shade of bright green that you would expect to see when a potion went drastically wrong and were tied with pink laces. The outfit was finished off with a large teal sweater with swirls and spirals embroidered on the cuffs.  
>Draco took in the stark contrast between the girl and her surrounding and instinctively the right side of his top lip began to twitch as get tried to repress his sneer.<br>'It's a bit strange isn't it?' Luna called over from where she was sitting her airy voice filling the empty room with ease.  
>'I asked it to give me whatever it was you needed most and this is what happened. Just this chair.'<p>

As Draco approached, Luna slowly got to her feet, taking in with one glance the laboured gait and agitated movements that the Slytherin was trying to disguise.

'Let's make this quick, Lovegood.'

'Perhaps the room couldn't give you what it was you needed most?' Luna's head was leaning slightly to one side as she only half talked to Draco, continuing her train of thought. But then her eyes finished their study of his face and registered the distress. 'Draco, what's wrong?'

'I don't want to be here. If there was anyone else... I swear, if there was one single other person in this entire damn school...' and here he faltered because, as Draco well knew, there was no-one else. Even the room of requirement knew that nothing else would give him what he needed. Nothing except the crazy blonde Ravenclaw with the striped tights and Draco hated himself for it.

Unable to stand looking at the care in Luna's expression, Draco turned to the wall, running his fingers through his hair.

'Why does it have to be you?'

Draco was not usually a man of violence, he preferred to torture his victims psychologically but at that moment the blood was bubbling through his veins and it took all his strength not to lash out at the object of his frustration.

So he hit the wall instead.

Luna heard the crunch as Draco's knuckles cracked against the brick, saw the unnatural way in which his hand fell and then felt the silence.

'I can't do this...' Draco's whisper was so quiet, Luna had to step closer to make out what he was saying.

'It was a mistake to even...'  
>He made as if to leave but at the moment his hand touched the handle of the door, there was a clatter from outside the room and both Draco and Luna froze. Her ears pricked, Luna could just about make out the sound of Harry's voice as he tried to get into the room.<p>

'Damn you, Potter. You never stop meddling do you?' Draco hissed viciously at the door, the knuckles on his still usable hand turning white with the force he was gripping the handle with.

Luna, without a word, took his injured hand and attempted to fix the broken bones but Draco ripped it away too quickly. His eyes were wild and he had begun to babble senselessly about escaping, prisoners, death and every thought that terrified him at that moment in time.

'Draco...' Luna's quiet voice tried to break though the wall of chatter but failed.

'Draco, stop.' Again she tried to calm him but the rate that he was pacing was making even her nervous. He was jittery and Luna was convinced he was close to becoming a snivelling wreck. So, gripping his wrists and pulling him to a halt, she looked him sternly in the eye.

'DRACO MALFOY, FOR MERLIN'S SAKE, GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF!'

The force with which she spoke surprised even Luna herself and all at once the fire seemed to burn out. Draco's hands fell weakly to his side.

He took the tissue Luna offered him and wiped the tears from his cheeks.

'Give me your hand.'

Weakly, Draco lifted his hand and placed it in Luna's open palm. It had begun to swell to twice its normal size but with a few quick words from Luna and a swish of her wand it began to shrink back to its normal size.

And still Luna did not release it.

'You shouldn't injure yourself. Your body suffers enough from the stress, it doesn't need any more challenges.'

Her other hand travelled up his arm, her fingers grazing the dark mark with a hesitant curiosity.

'Did it hurt?'

The sadness in Draco's eyes as Luna met them made her gulp in guilt.

'That was a stupid question, wasn't it?'

There was a strange sense of calm circulating around the room. Draco's breathing had steadied and Luna's soft melodic voice made him almost sleepy with calm. She was so gentle, so trusting and yet she knew so much. Her fingers were still tracing the patterns of the mark, as though she was learning them by heart. Her eyes were almost squinting in fascination and as she looked up at Draco's face to ask another question she stopped short. It had hit her that what she was studying was a part of a real person and suddenly the fascination was replaced by a feeling of disgust. Her hand fell from his and she hung her head.

'I'm sorry, I got carried away.'

But Draco didn't react. Offering Luna his arm he smirked.

'Don't stop.'

Luna's puzzled look was replaced momentarily by surprise as Draco used his free arm to pull her closer. Then in a whisper that Luna felt as much as heard, his mouth was so close to her neck, he gave her his explaination.

'It helps me to forget.'

* * *

><p><strong>Oh my word! I am so sorry for the length of time I've taken to update but it's been one thing after another. I've had this chapter written for almost a week and a half and I've not been able to post it for various reasons such as lack of internet access and my laptop dying on me. All in all it's been a frustrating week or so!<strong>

**Again thank you to reviewers and for being so patient.**


	35. Chapter 35

'Something amusing he said.' Draco was glaring at the wall, fuming whilst Luna created patterns of swirling mist with a new spell she had learnt earlier that morning.

'Perhaps he just wanted to lift the tension. Everyone's feeling it at the moment.'

They were back in the empty bathroom. With so many students away for the apparitions test it was as safe as anywhere. Draco was ranting to Luna about the trials of his latest potions lesson to which Luna was listening with her careful patience and calming words.

'But it's hardly the time for amusement. I'm sure the Montgomery sisters would not have appreciated old Slugface's time wasting.'

Draco was having what Luna had dubbed 'one of his calm days'. Days when his voice would barely raise beyond a whisper and his eyes would burn with so many trapped emotions they fought for a chance to be expressed. They were the days Draco was hardest to reach. He would shut himself off from her, only using her as someone to vent his frustrations to.

'It's very sad to lose a family member. You never really stop hurting.'

Luna paused to move herself into Draco's eye line so she could make sure he was listening.

'But you can still laugh.'

'He. Was. A. Child.' His eyes flashed at hers and Luna saw that the anger and pain were winning the battle for expression.

'No-one should kill children.'

Luna's perceptiveness told her there was something missing from the story.

'No. No-one should kill children. It's a terrible and-'

'The families never stop hurting.'

The pain had won. Draco's eyes were haunted and the shadows falling on his features made them look more angular than ever before. He was thin and tired, even Harry had noticed.

Luna's hand rested gently on Draco's arm. A comforting but hesitant gesture that had its desired effect. The Slytherin was calmed. So when Luna's question came, he answered it without the trembling in his voice.

'It's not just the Montgomery boy, is it?'

Draco cleared his voice.

'My brother. I was too young to remember him. It was just after my Father's trial. They'd kept him a secret so he couldn't be used in the war but someone found out. There were still death-eaters on the lose, any one of them could have killed him. It was my parent's punishment for not being loyal until the end. My mother still cries.'

With a sudden ring the bell sounded and the halls began to fill with students going back to lessons. Luna met Draco's eyes. Their meeting had been short and unplanned enough to be seen as coincidence even when both parties had known instinctively where to go but it had served its purpose. Draco was less agitated, Luna was no longer lonely and the two blondes parted ways without even a nod of thanks. There was no need for formalities any more.

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><p><strong>I know it's a very short chapter but I was reading through the half blood prince looking for ideas and I just liked this scene. The next chapter will probably be up by the end of this week. Thank you again for reviews!<strong>


	36. Chapter 36

Luna felt sick. Really sick. So sick she had almost not eaten pudding. Harry and Draco had fought and Harry had used the unknown spell. According to gossip, the spell had caused wounds that looked like they had been inflicted by swords to appear all over Draco's body. She had believed Harry when he had said that he hadn't wanted to hurt Draco on purpose and that it had just all happened on impulse but it didn't stop her from worrying that the fine line she and Draco walked could be even closer to breaking. Since Katie had returned a few weeks earlier, Draco had been on edge. Luna had guessed it was something to do with the fact she couldn't remember who had cursed her. They had met only by chance and when they had, Luna had found that Draco was never really in the mood for answering her questions and the only thing she was capable of doing was calming him down enough to think rationally.

The atmosphere around the table was awkward. No-one really knew what to think about what had happened but the feeling that the war against Voldemort was getting more serious by the day was hovering heavily and even more so for Luna.

Excusing herself from where they had all been sat she headed on her quest to find Draco. After searching first the hospital wing then seventeen classrooms, two towers and twenty two corridors, it was Draco who found Luna. As their eyes met, Draco made a face of annoyance and turned to walk away from her at top speed. Luna scowled and scurried after him, her face set in concern and determination.

Right to the top of the astronomy tower.

'You just won't leave me alone, will you Lovegood?'

Luna joined him at the railings, looking down at the students enjoying the May sunshine.

'You should really still be in the hospital wing, Madam Pomfrey was furious when she realised you'd gone.'

Draco sniggered. 'Well the old bat should have been paying more attention instead of getting students to run after her mistakes.'

Luna pouted indignantly, an expression she had only ever found herself using around Draco.

'I wasn't running after anyone. I just went to visit you at the hospital and you weren't there. So I went to find you.'

'Don't act like you care, Lovegood. I saw you fawning over Potter. Did you forget that it was him who attacked me?'

Draco slammed his hand against the railing, making Luna start, his eyes blazing.

'Of course everyone's up in arms when I insult Potter or that filthy mudblood but no-one gives a damn when Potter tries to kill me!' He took a breath to carry on speaking but Luna cut him short.

'Draco Malfoy, you listen to me right now!'

Draco swallowed his words and turned to look at Luna a slightly bemused look in his eyes.

'How can you say that people don't care about you? What about your Mother, you said she looked after you and wanted you near her. And Pansy came to visit you didn't she? And Snape, Harry said that Snape is on your side and he healed you didn't he?... and...'

In her moment of passion, Luna had forgotten herself. She hadn't noticed the ever shrinking distance between her and Draco, or the way her hands seemed to grip his upper arm of their own accord. It was only when she paused to meet his eyes that she realised how close they were and had to look away.

'But do you care about me?'

Draco's voice was almost a whisper and Luna felt her skin prickle at its tone. There was something menacing about it that she couldn't quite put her finger on.

She met his eyes so determinedly. It was as though she knew that she was facing a challenge.

'I think so.'

Draco seemed to consider her answer, sneering as he slowly leaned his face close to hers.

'Stupid girl.'

As she opened her mouth to reply, Draco closed the final gap. Luna's eyes flew wide open in shock, her breath completely taken away. The force of his kiss almost made her stumble but he caught her waist, holding her so tightly to him, the Ravenclaw voice in the back of her mind was wondering how she was still breathing. This of course was unconscious. Consciously Luna was wondering why she had never noticed Draco's hair was so soft as her fingers had somehow found themselves embedded in it and how much faster it would be possible for her heart to beat before it came flying out of her chest.

And then someone down below wolf whistled. In one panicked movement, Draco pulled Luna behind one of the pillars. Where there was clear fear in his eyes, in hers there was only calm.

'They won't have seen much, it's too tall. Don't be frightened.'

Luna tried to reassure Draco as he continued to look over his shoulder towards the gaping expanse of air. He was still gasping for breath although Luna innocently put it more down to the sudden shock than their previous activities.

Gently using her hand to turn his head back towards her, Luna smiled warmly.

'You don't have to worry, Draco.'

Thinking about it, she wasn't really sure what she meant by that but it calmed him and that was all that mattered.

Two hours later, the light was dying fast and Draco was sitting, Luna encased in his arms, whilst she traced the bright scars that scattered them. The feeling of her fingers on his skin soothed him and as they sat in silence he thought. He thought about how stupid he was being, about how he was going to kill Dumbledore, about what he would do if he didn't, about what his mother would do after losing both her sons and her husband, if Voldemort didn't kill her and about the girl sitting in front of him. As much as Draco tried to deny it, every thought came back to her.

Luna was aware of him studying her. She could feel his eyes as they traced her shoulders, her neck and just about every part of her body visible. It was fair, she thought, since she was studying him but that didn't make her feel any less uncomfortable.

As the last remaining light vanished, Luna got up to leave. Draco, quick as lightening gripped her hand.

'Sit back down, Luna.'

The use of her first name caught Luna off guard and she did as she was told.

'Alright, but I can't promise I'll stay awake.'

Draco nodded, his arms wrapping back around her.

Just as she had said, it was ten minutes before her head lolled against his shoulder and her breathing grew steady. Uncomfortable as he was, Draco smiled.

She was well and truly asleep.

* * *

><p><strong>I don't know what it was about this chapter but I love it. Apologies for the lateness, I'm trying to plough through all my last minute summer work!<strong>


	37. Chapter 37

Luna realised for the second time that year she was waking up in a place other than her own bed. Although in fact, this felt an awful lot like her bed. But the colours were all wrong. Where the curtains should have been blue, they were green, as were the duvet and pillow. In fact they were the exact green of...

Luna's eyes flew wide open and she sat up in shock. She was in one of the Slytherin dorms and it was with a sinking feeling she realised it was probably not the girls one. Luna was not often phased when she found herself in a difficult position but she was really quite stumped with this one. On the positive side, the curtains were closed around the bed and it would seem that none of the other inhabitants of the room were aware of the fact that she was there. On the negative side, there was no sign of Draco and she had no way of knowing what was going on outside of the curtains. Come to think of it, she had very little idea of anything apart from the fact that she had spent the night sleeping in Draco Malfoy's bed instead of her own and he was nowhere to be found.

She could hear voices outside the curtain and shadows moving around as they got ready to go to breakfast. She could make out snatches of their conversation and it was with some effort that she managed to connect some of the voices to their owners. She recognised Crabbe, Goyle and one that she presumed from his more eloquent speech belonged to Blaise Zabini but no Draco. It seemed they were no wiser to his location either as the discussion flowed towards how they were going to wake him up. Eventually it was Goyle who was nominated to attempt to wake Draco and Luna gulped, praying to no-one in particular that Draco would appear before she was discovered.

'Draco, are you coming to breakfast?'

As the voices drew nearer, Luna shrank back towards the headboard, making herself as small as she could and praying that they wouldn't open the curtains far enough to see her.

A hand appeared through the crack gripping the curtain as it prepared to reveal all.

Luna closed her eyes and wished for a miracle.

'I'm skipping breakfast today. Some of us think of things other than filling our stomachs, Goyle.'

The hand disappeared but Luna found herself unable to exhale until after much complaint and shuffling, she heard the door slam and silence filled the air.

She still leapt high into the air when Draco pulled back the curtain. She shielded her eyes, a dazed look in them from lack of oxygen resulting in her voice sounding even more with the fairies.

'Draco, you're glowing.'

Where he once would have rolled his eyes, he didn't react.

'Did you sleep well?'

Luna nodded and after a quick assessment of Draco's bloodshot eyes and pale face she raised her eyebrows. 'I don't think you did though.'

Draco sat down on his bed, leaning down to tie the laces on his shoes as he replied. 'I had more important things to do.'

Luna looked around the room, an expression on her face of an explorer observing a new world for the first time.

'They're quite untidy aren't they?'

Draco followed her eyes around the pigsty of a dorm the other side of the room seemed to be. In fact the only tidy space was around Draco's bed.

'Organisation is not their strong point.'

Luna nodded in agreement.

'You could have left me you know, I could have just said I'd been sleep walking.'

Draco shook his head, his fingers fiddling clumsily with the buttons on his shirt.

He'd been in the prefects bathroom when Pansy had told him that 'the cowards in his dorm thought he was still asleep and were too scared to try and wake him', resulting in him only being half dressed when he reached the dorm to stop them revealing Luna.

'Someone saw us up there. If you'd been found, gossip would spread and they would have put two and two together.' Draco stood up, picking up the dark jacket he'd left on the end of his bed and throwing it on.

Luna, tactless as always, continued to think aloud.

'But you could have just left me somewhere else, you didn't have to bring me in here.'

Draco threw down the tie he was trying to force around his neck.

'Can't you just be grateful? Why do you Ravenclaws always have to question everything?'

Luna stood up, her gait hesitant as she walked towards him.

'I'm sorry, Draco. I am grateful. I'm just...'

'You need to leave. Before the you get me into more trouble than your worth.'

Before Luna had a moment to think Draco had taken her hand and started to drag her down the stairs and into the Slytherin common room. With all the students eating breakfast, the room was deserted but still Draco did not slow down until they reached the entrance to the passage.

As he opened the door, he paused, as though something had suddenly struck him. His eyes went from the open passage way, to Luna and then to his hand. It was still clasping Luna's tightly. Luna read his eyes like a book, rising on her tiptoes, she planted a kiss gently on his pale cheek, whispering a quite thank you and skipped down the passage, her expression not matching the carefree manner in which she moved.  
>She had seen it in his face. It was beginning. Draco had realised in that momentary pause that the meetings would have to stop. He could push the mission aside no longer.<p>

And Just as she knew would happen. Luna saw nothing of Draco Malfoy until that eventful day.

The day she realised that tears did not make your vision clearer.

They only clouded it.

* * *

><p><strong>I know, it's been too long but in my defence I am just about buried under college work and UCAS forms and EPQs and about a million other things I should be doing but am not.<br>So to make up for my failure, I'm uploading the next chapter straight away as soon as it is proof read. I hope you enjoy it!**


	38. Chapter 38

Today was the day. The vanishing cabinet had been fixed and the plan had been made foolproof. Today was the day Draco Malfoy would murder the only wizard Voldemort had ever feared. And Draco was terrified. Fear was an emotion that had haunted Draco throughout the entire year but never had it been so strong.

But he would go through with the order. He had been chosen. It was an honour. A privilege.

So why did he wish that time would stop?

Sat alone in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, Draco knew that the question had so many answers, he could never pick a single one.

Taking a deep breath, he stood up and walked towards the mirrors. He looked deep into the eyes of the thin, sleep deprived face he saw looking back at him and forced himself to feel cold, to feel strong and powerful but no matter how hard he gripped the sink in front of him, he couldn't stop his hands from shaking.

'Draco?'

The ice he had been forming in his heart melted as he heard her voice and he hated himself for it. How had she found him?  
>For so long she had given him what he truly wanted. She had kept him human and stopped him from going even more crazy than he already was.<p>

But now he didn't need her. No. He didn't want her. Because in his heart, Draco knew he needed Luna Lovegood and there was a difference between want and need. His time with her had taught him that much.

'Leave me alone.'

His voice obviously sounded more scared than he thought because Luna ignored his request, marching towards him with a determination she very rarely expressed so openly. She had known this day would come, however much she had prayed that it wouldn't and she was ready to fight until the end.

'Draco, let me help you.'

She reached out to touch his shoulder but at the contact, Draco turned, lashing out and hitting Luna so hard that tears sprang to her eyes. The haunted look in his eyes had returned and he seemed to stare at his shaking hand as though it didn't belong to him.

'It's too late, I'm beyond helping.'

'No you're not, no-one is beyond helping. You just need to accept help when it's offered.'

The Irish lilt in Luna's voice was more prominent in her emotion as her hands encircled his neck, forcing him to look her in the eye.

'Please let me help you.'

'There's nothing you can do, Loony. We fight on different sides, remember?' He tried to remove her hands but their grip remained steadfast. She was scared, everything she had worked towards was crumbling before her eyes.

'Sides don't matter when...' She gulped back her words as Draco slammed her back into one of the walls, his arms blocking her exit and his forehead almost touching her own. It was a scene which in another setting could have almost been romantic. Draco struggled to contain his anger and frustration as his words came through gritted teeth.

'For the love of Merlin, Luna. Are you genuinely stupid? Of course sides matter. They've always mattered. Which is why this whole situation is impossible. YOU are impossible.'

Luna watched as his eyes darted distractedly around the room and when his expression didn't change, she started to look concerned.

'Draco. It's going happen isn't it? But it doesn't have to. There must be another way?'

As the questions streamed like a never-ending whirlpool, Draco closed his eyes and forced himself to block her out. She touched the side of him that made him weak and he needed to be strong.

_Hate her. You need to hate her. Imagine she's Granger. Imagine she's..._

He opened his eyes and felt his knees buckle. He couldn't cry, he didn't have the energy left. Luna watched him silently before sinking to her knees and wrapping her arms around Draco's neck. For once she was at a loss for words.

'I'm going to do something bad, Luna.' Draco's voice was hoarse as he spoke and Luna struggled to hear him. He was so childlike, Luna found herself instinctively stroking his hair in an attempt to sooth him.

'No you're not. I believe in you Draco.'

Taking a deep breath, Draco gripped her wrists and pulled her hands away from him. It took all his strength but he managed to stop his voice shaking.

'You always did believe in stupid things.'

He uttered a spell, pointing his wand at her. Luna didn't even react as her hands were frozen to her sides, she just stared. Because of course, Luna Lovegood was too happy-go-lucky to ever let anyone break her heart before now. And if Draco had looked, her expression would have torn his hardening heart in two.  
>But he didn't look.<p>

'You're not a killer, Draco.' Luna gasped through the growing pain in her chest. Draco ignored her and turned to leave, taking and dropping her wand a few feet away. Not too far, but enough to make it difficult for her to reach it. He couldn't bring himself to completely extinguish the hope that she might still be able to save him.

'But I am a death-eater.'

Not looking back, he closed the door and marched towards the astronomy tower, the thought that had caused his actions still spinning round his mind.

_If she's locked up, she can't fight. If she can't fight, she can't die._

He was going to kill at least one person that night. He was not going to be responsible for her dying too.

* * *

><p><strong>And with that, I finish the Half Blood prince. I hope you've enjoyed this section of their story. I hope to be able to get the start of the next part up within the next two weeks but I'm going to have to do some planning to make sure everything runs smoothly.<br>Thank you to all my lovely followers/reviewers/reader for sticking with this for so long and putting up with my terrible time keeping skills!**


	39. Chapter 39 Deathly Hallows

Draco had skipped pudding. Not that you could really call it that. There was little in his house that tasted at all edible to him at the moment. He felt as though he was being constantly followed by a dementor, all desire to think positively had gone. But he had heard a rumour. He had heard whispers that the old wandmaker in his basement was no longer alone. No-one would ever tell him anything directly, trust was not a word associated with him. It had been Blaise who had wolf whistled that evening at the tower and although rumours had been pushed aside in the drama of the night Dumbledore was murdered, the way his old 'friends' looked at him told him that they hadn't completely forgotten the whispers that Draco had been seen with a girl no-one could identify. It was up to him to sniffle snippets of conversation and come to his own conclusions.

As much as he tried to not care, he couldn't stop a sense of hope rising in his chest that the rumours were true and that Luna Lovegood was in fact being held captive so near by.

This hope was the reason he had made his excuses and left his father and mother at the dinner table. It was the Christmas Holidays and although home wasn't a pleasant place to be, it was better than suffering an extra two weeks at Hogwarts. He had seen Luna but she appeared to never see him. It was as though she had finally fallen so far inside her own head, she couldn't see beyond it any more, she had given up on him and that bothered Draco more than anything. Was he really so terrible that Luna saw no way or reason to help him any more?  
>The Malfoys were still not trusted and so they had been left when the death eaters had gone searching for the 'Golden Trio'. His Father said nothing as Draco left and where his mother would usually have commented on his rudeness, there was silence.<p>

Taking three steps down to the basement, Draco shivered as he noticed the temperature change almost straight away. Muttering that he would take over from the current guard, he could hear the deep, wheezing breathing of the old wandmaker.

But Draco's ears managed to catch a much more painful sound. As he pulled open the door and took a step towards where the weeping was coming from, his foot went straight into a puddle, creating a deafening splash in the deathly silence. Abruptly the crying stopped and Draco heard the sound of someone desperately trying to choke back their tears. As he forced himself forwards, he called the first name for her that came into his head.

'Loony?'

He couldn't be sure but in-between sobs Draco thought he heard Luna gasp. Rounding a final column, he finally worked up the courage to use the spell he had been dreading.

'Lumos'

As a ball of light appeared at the end of his wand, Draco rounded a pillar, finally laid eyes on Luna and realised at once how selfish he'd been. He should never have wished to have her here. Her face was bruised and tearstained and her clothes were damp. She was shivering violently and her hair, although it was tied away from her face, hung limply around her shoulders. She was sat in the corner, her knees hugged tightly to her chest, her chin resting awkwardly on them.

As Draco approached, she didn't look up, just continued staring straight ahead so that when he was directly in front of her, she seemed to be staring intently at his knees.

Draco knelt down so that he was eye level with her. She was staring straight at him but her eyes didn't seem to see. There was a glassiness to her eyes that was similar and yet at the same time so different from the dreamy look she once wore when he saw her around Hogwarts. He saw in her eyes the same emptiness he felt in his own.

Another tear escaped from her eye and began to crawl down her cheek. Luna seemed to ignore it but as Draco reached towards her face she batted his hand away and roughly wiped the tears away herself. Her movements were sharp, a sure sign that she was unhappy. Taking advantage of the fact that she seemed to have woken up from her daydream, he started to speak to her.

'So the rumours are true then. You're really in my basement.'

Luna regarded him for a second and in the light of his wand, Draco saw her eyebrows raise slightly.

'You do say some stupid things, Draco.' Although her movements betrayed her unhappiness, her voice still retained its dreamlike tone. She paused for a second, adjusting her seating position, tucking her knees under her and spreading a forced smile across her face.

'I really quite like what you've done with the place.'

In an almost vicious way, she was playing with him and venom practically dripped from Draco's voice as his trademark sneer spread across his face.

'Very funny. Do you think I enjoy this, Lovegood?'

'Well you're a death eater. Maybe you enjoy making people suffer.'

Even in her floaty tone, the remark was cutting. She was still hurt. He shouldn't have really expected anything else. Draco was about to reply when a sound from behind him made him jump to his feet. Luna stood up slowly, looking towards where the noise had come from.

'It's just Mr Ollivander. He dreams but I don't think they're good dreams. It's so sad.'

Draco made a disbelieving sound, more out of jealousy that her voice had lowered to the tone she once used to use for him than actual disbelief.

'What's so bad about having bad dreams? There's much worse things that could happen to you.'

Luna stopped to think for a moment before she replied.

'Yes. But when reality is so hard, sometimes dreams are the only comfort we have left. If you take them away, we really do have nothing.' She was looking at him, her expression accusing, the glassiness in her eyes replaced by a fire that was something Draco found worse than hatred, Passion.

'And you think this is my fault.'

He was still searching through her expression but he could find no hatred. Anger, pain and passion were there, but no hatred.

'So I have really taken everything from you. Is that right, Loony? Even when I came down here to...' He paused and in the dim light, Luna was convinced she could see distress in his eyes. He got to his feet and began to walk towards the stairs.

'Do you know what, never mind. I guess I'm only good at playing the villain.'

As he left Luna asked him the question that had been playing on her mind for the past six months.

'Draco, are you happy?'

Draco just slammed the gate shut and carried on walking.

* * *

><p><strong>Well I'm back! Even if it's only for a moment. I feel like I've got a bit of an order sorted for deathly hallows now so all I need to do is write out the chapters. Yay! College is horrid at the moment and I should be doing about five different pieces of coursework right now and instead I'm writing fanfiction and trying to figure out how to work Twitter. Procrastination is wonderful.<strong>


	40. Chapter 40

Luna hurriedly wiped away the tears as Ollivander began to wake. There was one thing she was determined would never happen. He would never see her unhappy. His spirits were low as it was and she was going to make sure that he was never more unhappy than he had to be. Half of her longed for Draco to come and talk to her but the other half was terrified that if he did, she would lose her temper with him again. She had done a lot of thinking in the past three days she had been locked down in the Malfoy's basement. Thinking about what her friends were doing. Thinking about what Voldemort was doing. Thinking about what her father was doing. But mostly she was thinking about what she should be doing. Thinking about mince pies and presents and all the things that muggles enjoyed about christmas that she and her father had adopted for their own enjoyment. She wondered about how she would deal with being tortured if it came to that and she wondered if Mr Ollivander would survive long enough to be rescued.

She had no doubt that they would be rescued and she took care to assure the other residents of their prison of this every few hours. She never expressed her concerns to them. Griphook would always be sure to assure her that her worries would almost certainly become reality and Ollivander would probably spend more time worrying about her worries than his own if she told him so she kept them hidden. It was just easier this way. As his eyes opened and he smiled a half-hearted smile in her direction, Luna gave up lying to herself. It was not easier this way, she wanted someone to talk to and tell her, however untrue it was, that it was all going to work out in the end. But most of all, she wanted someone to care about her. Ollivander was friendly enough but he was unintentionally selfish. Luna understood that he had been in their prison for longer and so must be suffering more but she longed for him to notice that he wasn't the only one who was cold, hungry and hurting.

It must have been almost midnight before Draco could escape to the basement. After a long four hours of arguing with himself, he had decided to try one more time at being the good guy, however stupid it was. Down underground, it was impossible to tell when day or night fell and the effect was already wearing down on Luna. Even in the dull light of the cellar, Draco could see the dark rings encircling her eyes as she looked at him. She had been crying again and the skin across her cheekbone had turned a mottled purple. She was silent as he placed the food he had smuggled from the kitchen down in front of her, her eyes watching his every move with the keenness of a starving fox. When she didn't move, Draco's expression turned from one of begrudging kindness to annoyance. He crouched down, taking hold of an apple and holding it out to her.

'Are you not going to eat it?'

As she had feared, something from within Luna seemed to snap at that. No-one had ever seen Luna Lovegood angry, no-one had ever given Luna Lovegood cause to be angry with them. But for the first time in her life, Luna felt as though her words were about to fly out of her mouth faster than she could say them.

'Why should I? Doesn't the kindness of a deatheater come at a price? You're going to make me think I have one person on me side so I'll reveal everything to you. Well I won't ea-'

Her ever flowing stream of words was cut short as Draco's hand dropped the apple and swamped her mouth.

'Merlin, Lovegood! Are you trying to get us both killed!?'

She tried to pull his hand away but he shook his head, scanning around the room to find to his relief that Ollivander and Griphook were still sound asleep.

'If you shout again, you'll bring the entire household down and compared to my mother when she's just woken up, Voldemort is a teddy bear.'

At this there seemed to be a change in Luna's eyes and the anger drained from them. As she nodded, Draco gently removed his hand and sat down beside her, leaning on the wall as he breathed a sigh of relief.

'I really thought you'd lost it then, Loony.'

'I've never been angry before. It's strange. To lose control, I mean.'

In the darkness, Draco nodded and though he tried to hide it, Luna could see his hands were still shaking from the fear of discovery.

'Is your mother really that scary in the morning?'

A familiar smirk appeared on Draco's lips.

'It's like coming face to face with an angry troll.'

As Luna began to laugh, Draco found himself smiling with her. He hadn't smiled in so long, it was almost painful. His smile weakened as Luna began to cough and he was brought back to reality. They weren't school children laughing secretly in a classroom anymore. They were captive and captor, betrayed and betrayer. Luna noticed his sudden change in mood and as always, she followed his thoughts as though they were plotted out in front of her.

'I will forgive you. It will just take time, I think. Sometimes, when I saw you at school, it would still hurt, you see and I think perhaps there was a time when I hated you. But it was only a short time, at the beginning. Hate is such an exhausting emotion to manage, don't you think?'

Draco nodded gravely. Perhaps that was why he was always so tired, hating yourself was doubly exhausting.

* * *

><p><strong>Wow 40 chapters! Apologies again for lack of updates, english coursework is a real imagination killer. Thank you for being patient and not hating me too much! If any of fancy following me on twitter, it's _Hanwan. I can't promise anything exciting but hey, feel free to tweet me if I haven't updated in a while and remind me. I check twitter more than fanfiction. Thanks again, my lovelies!<strong>


	41. Chapter 41

Draco woke from his nightmare with a jump. In his dream, someone had been screaming and whilst with the opening of his eyes, the visions had gone, the screaming continued. It wasn't Luna this time, it sounded more like the goblin. It was probably twisted but Draco couldn't help being glad. Luna's screams were so much harder to listen to than Griphook's. He forced himself to his feet, ran his fingers through his tangled hair and left the room to make his way downstairs. Half way down the elaborately decorated staircase, the screaming abruptly stopped.

Draco scooted into the shadows as the burly shape of one of the death-eaters bumbled past him. With only the silhouette of his face visible, it was impossible to tell which of them it was.

As the thudding footsteps faded away, Draco sped down the stairs, through the hall and straight to the basement. They'd begun to be more lax with the guard. With so many death eaters constantly around, it was unlikely that anyone would attempt to break the prisoners free. Of course, it had been this kind of arrogance that had caused many a problem for the death eaters in the past, but Draco wasn't about to point that out to them. Especially when it made his life so much easier.

He heard Luna before he saw her. Her cough had been growing steadily worse over the week and now it echoed chillingly around the basement.

Luna caught sight of him and in between coughs, Draco thought he saw her smile.

'Good evening, Draco.'

Draco rolled his eyes,

'Sickeningly optimistic as always, Lovegood. I haven't had a good evening since I was 14.'

He sauntered over to where she was sitting, swinging down to sit next to her. She didn't speak but her glances towards the darkness spoke much louder than words.

'I know, there are those who have it worse. But I can't help them. There's little I can do without risking my own neck and you especially should know how much I value that.'

Luna nodded slowly as another fit of coughing overtook her.

'I can hardly have an intelligent conversation with a girl who is only capable of barking like a dog. If I get my wand, there's a spell for...'

He stopped as Luna shook her head violently.

'If I get better suddenly they'll know that someone helped me. It's dan-'

She couldn't finish before her breath was taken away and the coughing began again.

Draco slammed his fist down on the floor and got to his feet. Luna weakly grappled at his arm, gesturing for him to stay but he shook her off like she was nothing.

'You're ill. You're no use to me if you're ill, Lovegood.'

'But I told you, if I suddenly get better they'll-' she coughed again, managing to gasp the final words of her sentence in between wheezing. 'Just stay here, I'll be fine, really.'

Draco sat back down again, scowling irritably. Luna shuffled closer to him and Draco felt the cold of her hands sink straight through his suit to his skin in an instant. He bore it for a minute before shuddering and jumping to his feet.

'You're freezing, Lovegood. I didn't come here to be your radiator.'

And he turned and marched out of the basement and up the stairs, leaving Luna bewildered and shivering on the floor.

In other circumstances, she would have shrugged off the rejection carelessly but she was cold and lonely and tears started to pinprick her eyes. She could hear the creak of the floorboards above signalled that Draco was back inside his room.

Accepting her loss, Luna rested her head against the smoothest rock she could find and closed her eyes, praying that she'd fall asleep quickly.

* * *

><p>'Luna!' Someone was shaking her and Luna fought hard against the urge to answer their calls and wake up. It had taken so long for her to fall asleep.<p>

'Wake up, you dippy-headed toad or I'll leave.'

Luna blinked dazedly at the face of the slytherin who was gripping her shoulders tighter than he should have been.

'I thought you'd gone. I was tired.'

There was something about her voice that echoed everything that was wrong with the wizarding world at that moment. Monotone, weak and hopeless and it made something catch in Draco's throat.

He cleared it quickly, trying to get back to the mission he had assigned himself.

'You're not sleeping, not until you've had some of this.'

He held out a large spoon filled with some dark and unappealing liquid. Luna swallowed it without question, barely grimacing at it's bitter taste.

'The house elves made it for me, they said it'll help you get better. And I got you this'

Luna had to squint in the darkness to see what he was holding. And she had barely figured out what it was before it was pulled over her head and her arms were forced through the sleeves.

'It doesn't fit me anymore and it's quite warm.'

Wrapping a large blanket around her shoulders, Draco sat back on his heels, surveyed his work and, satisfied, placed himself next to Luna.

'I wonder what my friends would think if they knew I was wearing a slytherin jumper. They'd be quite scandalised I think.'

Draco sniggered. 'If they worry more about house pride than your warmth then they're no friends of yours.'

'You know so much about friends and yet you don't have any. Why?'

As her temperature rose, her voice returned to its normal tone. She was snuggled as close to Draco as the blanket would allow, her head resting against his shoulder.

'Friends are too much effort. They're hardly a necessity.'

'So I'm not your friend then?'

'No. You're a necessity.'

Draco had barely missed a beat. He was matter of fact. He needed Luna as much as he needed food or water. She was keeping him from going crazy.

'So that's why you'd do so much for me.'

Draco managed to crack a half smile.

'I'm not having you die on me, Lovegood. I've not finished with you yet.'


	42. Chapter 42

Unsurprisingly, when Luna awoke, Draco was gone. He'd left her still wearing his old school jumper and cocooned in the blanket but any other sign of his presence there was gone. Hiding the gifts out of sight, Luna returned to where she had been sitting. Ollivander was still sleeping and Griphook had still not returned from where ever that galumphing death eater had taken him. There was little else for her to do but think and listen. There was more activity upstairs than there had been since she'd arrived. Luna took this as a good sign, things must be happening. Perhaps their rescue was close.

And indeed, upstairs things were happening. Voldemort had finally graced Malfoy Manor with his presence. Like royalty surveying the spoils of his kingdom's battle he had wandered through the halls, eventually stopping at one point before the entrance to the basement.

Turning to Lucius who had been following the dark lord around like a faithful Labrador for the duration of the visit, he placed a single clawed finger on his lips in mock thoughtfulness.

'Lucius, is it true that one of Draco's felllow classmates is currently residing in your home?'

'Yes My Lord, she was taken to keep her father quiet. He was quite persistent in the publishing of his little magazine'

'That same Father who most recently sent our ranks on a wild goose chase around his house?'

'My Lord, the boy was there, Yaxley himself saw him.'

'But we failed to capture him, did we not, Lucius?'

'Yes, My Lord.'

'And did we not promise Xeniphelious that should things not go the way we wished, his daughter would suffer the consequences?'

'We did, My Lord.'

'And it is important that we keep our promises, Lucius.'

* * *

><p>Luna had been chattering to Mr O llivander for at least an hour said without him saying anything in reply. Whatever medicine those house elves had made was amazing because not once in that hour had Luna been forced to stop her stream of nonsense chatter and cough. The sound of the gate to their prison being opened distracted her attention away from her wandmaker friend and instead directed it to the growing shaft of light that was entering the room.<p>

When Voldemort entered, Luna's first thought was not for her own safety, or even that of anyone else's. It was a lightening quick assessment of his reason for being there. She wanted to be of as much use as she could when she escaped, so she had spent her time alone, thinking and trying as best she could to get into the minds of each of the death-eaters and the Dark Lord himself. She figured that the more they knew about them as people, the easier it would be to find their weaknesses.

She knew Volemort was full of his own self importance and also very calculating. He would not have ventured down to the basement of his weakest death-eaters without a good reason. And the way he looked at Luna as he entered told her that this time, she was the reason and that meant that her father had done something they didn't like.

And that meant that perhaps the death-eaters were closer to being beaten.

But it also meant she may not live to see the morning.

So after her quick analysis, Luna allowed the fear to set in.

One of the death eaters walked over towards her and gripped her arm to pull her away from the old man she had been talking to. Weak as he was, Olivander tried faintly to push the masked assailant off Luna but received nothing but a swift kick in the jaw for his efforts.

'You leave her alone. She's just a girl. She can't hurt you.'

Blood dripping from his lip, Ollivander shouted pleas that earned him another beating.

'It's alright, Mr Ollivander. I'll be fine.'

And then Volemort waved his wand, light flooded the room and Luna thought that perhaps she had told a bigger lie than she intended to tell.

* * *

><p>Draco had been told to wait at the top of the stairs. Whatever was about to happen, it involved Luna and as Yaxley began to march him down into the basement, a sinking feeling appeared in the pit of Draco's stomach.<p>

As the room flooded with light with a wave of the dark lord's wand, Draco saw Luna start to blink in the bright light. He saw the confusion in her face as she tried to work out why he was there and then the realisation.

'Now then Draco, you and Miss Lovegood are acquainted, I'm sure? I believe you were at school together.'

'She was the year below me. I had nothing to do with her.'

Draco felt Voldemort's bony fingers dig into his shoulders.

'Well then that will make your task a whole lot easier then. You see her Father is not being particularly helpful in our hunt for Potter. A simple 'Crucio' will do.'

Draco nodded, his face expressionless. He raised his wand and muttered the curse but whilst Luna gasped and fell to her knees in shock, nothing more happened. No blood-curdling scream, nothing.

Voldemort looked irritated and, slithering again behind Draco he murmured into his ear.

'You have to want to cause her pain for it to work. Or is there something you're keeping from us, Draco?'

Voldemort's voice sent shivers running down Draco's spine and knowing full well that it would fail for a second time, Draco raised his wand again.

There was a look in Voldemort's eyed that told Luna he was enjoying the current situation more than he let on and that, in his eyes, this whole exercise was nothing more than a game of control. And he was about to up the stakes.

'Three strikes and you're out, Draco. I believe that's the muggle phrase. But you know how I detest muggles so let's change it shall we. How about: Three strikes and it's you.'

To most people, Draco's appearance would not have seemed to change but Luna's eyes caught every detail instantly.

Draco's grip on his wand tightened; a sure attempt to steady his hand. His feet shuffled slightly apart: to steady himself. And most obvious of all, he began to blink rapidly.

Whatever he tried to pretend, in that moment, Draco was scared.

And so when, for the third time, Draco raised his wand, Luna was half expecting to feel the pain he was meant to cause her.

But no pain came. Instead she heard a scream that she didn't even think sounded human. She wanted to stop it, wanted to reach out and at least hold his hand until it stopped but she couldn't. And sign of distress would give too much away and place them both in more danger.

Every part of her told her to look away but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't tear her eyes away from the trembling body of the blonde slytherin.

As suddenly as the screaming had begun, it stopped and Voldemort swept out of the basement, turning to Lucius as they reached the steps.

'Your pathetic excuse for a son can stay down here for the night.'

And then they were gone and the basement was dark again.

* * *

><p><strong>So this is going to be my last update for a couple of weeks because I've got A level exams. After that though I'm free for the summer so hopefully I might get this whole story done before I swan off to University!<strong>


	43. Chapter 43

Luna watched them leave, her ears still ringing from Draco's screams. He hadn't moved since the curse had been lifted. He was sprawled across the floor where he had fallen, his face turned away from her. She could see him breathing heavily and every so often his shoulders would judder.

He was crying but for the first time since they had met, he seemed ashamed to let her see him.

'Draco?' She leaned towards him, shaking his shoulder gently. When he didn't respond, she crawled around his head and leaned towards him, her face so close to his that their noses were almost touching.

'Draco, are you alright?' Her voice had risen an octave higher than it usually was, a result of a combination of complete terror, relief and now concern.

The bone dry response of 'What do you think, Lovegood?' instantly reassured Luna that however he seemed, Draco was not injured beyond repair.

He struggled to sit up, eventually allowing Luna to help him struggle over to the wall and slump against it. Luna sank down next to him, subconsciously resting her head on his shoulder. They sat in silence, only the sound of their breathing filling the empty space. Only when the steady sound of Ollivander's snoring filled the air did she realise what they had been waiting for. They were finally, to all intents and purposes, alone.

Luna broke the silence.

'I'm sorry'

Draco turned his head to look down at her.

'So you should be, I'm not a scapegoat.'

'It hurt, didn't it?' There was a concern in her voice so deep that it even managed to soften Draco's tone and, looking aimlessly into the darkness, he spoke with the coolness of someone explaining a difficult puzzle, not the pain of torture.

'It's not the kind of pain you can ever get used to. You can't block it out because it is in every inch of your body, in your bloodstream, in your thought processes, every action just seems to multiply the pain further. You don't even realising you're screaming. And when it stops the real pain from the damage you've inadvertently done to your body hits and the exhaustion. Not to mention the fact that you've been sweating so much that you're soaked to the bone and screaming so much that you feel like your lungs have given way and your throat had been filled with sand. So yes, Lovegood. It hurt, it still hurts and it will hurt again.'

What Luna did then seemed so natural, she wondered why she hadn't done it earlier. Lifting her head from his shoulder, she kissed him gently on his cheek.

'Thank you'

'Believe me, Lovegood, I did not intend to take the curse for you. If he had pointed his wand at you, I would not have leapt to your rescue. So don't thank me for Voldemort's choice. I'm no

hero.'

Luna shook her head. 'You don't realise how strong you are.'

'Don't give me that hippy crap about believing in yourself, Lovegood. You tried that once already and it failed, remember? I looked you in the eye and then I cast the spell. Hardly the actions of a knight in shining armour.'

He got to his feet suddenly, throwing his jacket on the floor and forcing Luna to regain her composure after almost tumbling over.

'But the cruciatus curse takes more than just words, doesn't it? You need to actually want to cause the person pain for it to work? And it didn't work. So you didn't want to. Cause me pain, that is. Not really.'

Draco had found what he'd been looking for: the blanket he had brought down the night before.

'But I still tried. Don't you see? It's the only thing I've ever been taught. When Voldemort gives you orders, you obey them. No matter what. It will never leave me. Damn this shirt.'

He had been trying clumsily to undo the buttons fastening his sweat drenched shirt and so Luna, never losing her cool, got up and undid them for him, only reacting when she saw the bruises and scars that covered his back.

'That's very reductionist, Draco. Not everything you do is determined by what you have been taught. You have free will. You should use it. You have used it. Once when you couldn't kill Dumbledore and once then.'

'Don't blind me with philosophy, Lovegood. I know I have a choice. I just try my hardest to choose the wrong direction and fail every time.'

He wrapped the blanket round his now bare shoulders and sat back where he had been moments before. He paused, sighed and then looked at Luna.

'Don't get over excited, Lovegood. But would you care to join me?' He gestured to the spot directly in front of him. 'I need to steal some of your body heat.'

Luna sat further forward than Draco had gestured, much to his annoyance. Grabbing her waist, he half pulled, half slid her closer.

'I don't bite, Luna.' He whispered into her neck as he encased them both in the blanket.

They were closer than they had ever been before but Luna couldn't help herself thinking that in the days since she had been down in the Malfoy, it was the most comfortable she had felt.


	44. Chapter 44

Draco was the first to wake the next morning. Lifting his head, he was suddenly aware of Luna's weight against him. Her head lolled against his shoulder and where his hand rested at her waist he could feel her breathing steadily. He thought of moving her, decided he was still too weak and settled himself to sit and wait for her to wake up.

Which she did kicking and screaming. It began with a quiet murmuring in her sleep. Draco looked down at her, bemused and positioned himself to see her more clearly. His brows furrowed as the murmuring became audible words and her face became contorted in what looked liked pain. Gripping her shoulders, he used what strength he could to lift her weight off him so he could walk round to get a better look at her.

'Lovegood?' By this time she had begun to shake her head and the words were as clear as crystal. She was telling someone 'No.'

Draco hesitantly shook her shoulders. 'Lovegood? Luna, wake up.'

Then suddenly she was no longer merely speaking the words but shouting them and it wasn't just her head but the rest of her moving. It was as if she was struggling to get away from someone. One of her hands hit draco and in an attempt to stop himself from being hit again, he gripped her wrists, again trying to wake her.

'Lovegood! Luna! Loony! For the love of Merlin, wake up!'

'Let me go!' Luna screamed at him so loud that he dropped her wrists out of shock. Her screaming had woken Ollivander who walked next to Draco.

'She's not talking to you, boy. She's talking to whoever it is she can see that we can't. Try again.

Draco scowled at the old wandmaker. He didn't need him to tell him what to do. Logic more than affection ruling, Draco again took her wrists, this time more gently. And leaning closer than he had before, he spoke slowly and calmly.

After a moment she stopped fighting him, the shouting stopped and two large tears crept from under her closer eyelids and rolled down her cheeks. Her eyes opened and without realising, Draco breathed a sigh of relief and released her wrists.

Luna's hand immediately went to touch the damp streak on her cheek.

'Draco, why am I crying?'

Draco shrugged as he stood up and pulled on his now dry shirt.

'You tell me, Lovegood. You're the one dreaming the crazy dreams.'

Luna started to reply but stopped at the sound of the key turning in the gate door. Without a word to anyone, Draco picked up his jacket and pushed passed the death-eater who had returned his freedom to him. But the deatheater remained by the door as two more entered and each took one of Ollivanders arms. Half carrying, half dragging him out of the door and leaving Luna very much alone with her confusion.

* * *

><p><strong>Two chapters in quick succession now because this one is very short and I feel guilty! <strong>


	45. Chapter 45

Luna scowled at the woman who had just entered the basement. Luna was generally pleasant to most people but she struggled with Narcissa Malfoy and other death-eaters. She had seen the way she treated people and she questioned how a woman could allow death eaters to treat her own home and family the way they did. And deep down there was a sense of jealousy. Jealousy of Draco for having a mother where she had been denied one. She watched with a certain amount of pleasure as the willowy woman stepped in one of the many puddles and let out a disgusted squeal. She paused to compose herself after a moment and went back to searching the darkness. It was only when her eyes met Luna's that Luna realised what she was searching for.

As Narcissa approached, Luna kept her eyes cast down, half hoping that she would decide that the basement was just too disgusting to stay down only to talk to a schoolgirl prisoner but it seemed the Malfoy woman was determined.

As the clicking of her heels stopped, Luna got to her feet. She was still being looked down upon as Mrs Malfoy stood about a head taller in her heels, but it made Luna feel at least more on a level with the haughty woman.

After staring at her in such a way, it made Luna feel as though she had been examined inside and out, Narcissa spoke.

'What is your name?'

'Luna, Luna Lovegood.'

Narcissa nodded. 'And I presume that you are of pure blood. They picked you up off the Hogwarts express, did they not?'

This time Luna only nodded. She was trying to figure out what Narcissa's purpose was. She could find the answers by asking any of the death-eaters that had kidnapped her and yet she was questioning Luna in person. Why?

'How old are you?'

'I'm almost 17.'

'And you're one of Mr Potter's supporters?'

Luna was getting more confused. Surely she must know that, she was a death-eater's wife wasn't she? Eventually curiosity overwhelmed apprehension and she spoke her mind.

'Mrs Malfoy, why are you asking me these questions? Surely you can find out from-'

'What house are you in, Miss Lovegood?'

'But.'

'Answer me.' There was a tone in her voice that told Luna it was best to do as she said.

'Ravenclaw.'

'You are intelligent then. So tell me. Why would I come down to this disgusting basement when all of its other occupants are otherwise engaged without telling anyone?'

'Because you don't want other people to know you are doing it. But why the questions?'

'Just answer them and the reason will become apparent. You support Potter, yes?'

'Of course I do.'

'How long have you known my son for?'

Luna was caught off guard. 'I... I don't.'

'There are other ways that I can get the truth, Miss Lovegood. Don't force me to use them. How long have you known Draco for?'

It was a while before Luna replied. If there was one thing that everyone knew about Narcissa Malfoy it was that she was fiercely loyal to her son. Luna's reply could place him in danger but if one thing was certain, it was that Narcissa would avoid placing her son in danger at all costs. And so she told the truth.

'Since last year. I tried to help him.'

'You _tried to help him?' _Narcissa's tone was urging Luna to reveal more.

'He was so worried about his mission. I just wanted to convince him there was more important things.'

'He told you about his mission?'

'Well I guessed most of it.'

'And you didn't reveal it to your precious Potter?'

'I did. He didn't listen.'

Narcissa paused before reaching out and tilting Luna's chin up towards the light before turning her head left and then right, a thoughtful expression on her face.

'My son has used the cruciatus curse many times before. Successfully. And yet, he was unable, not for want of trying, to use it on you. Even knowing that he would suffer it himself if he did. The men are blind to the world of emotion, they saw only weakness. I however, am not. I became curious to know what kind of girl had presented such a challenge to my Draco and so my final question is this. Do you care for him, as he so obviously cares for you?'

'But Draco doesn't care for me. He said I'm not his friend.'

'What men say and what they truly feel are rarely the same. My son cares for you whether he is aware of it or not. You are of pure blood and I feel that you are perhaps benefiting him so I will allow these rendezvous to continue but it you place him in danger, I swear that The Dark Lord will no longer be your greatest nightmare. Do you understand me?'

Luna nodded, still trying to take in what she had just been told.

Mrs Malfoy was aware of what had been happening, she wanted it to continue and most confusing of all, Draco apparently cared for her, even if he didn't realize it. And though she tried to suppress it, Luna couldn't help the smile that crept onto her lips as the clicking of Narcissa's heels disappeared up the basement steps.


	46. Chapter 46

'Draco, do you think it's possible to choose your friends?' Luna asked Draco when he appeared in the basement later that week armed with food. In their determination to extract as much information as possible from the goblin and Ollivander, it looked like the death-eaters had forgotten about their third prisoner. There had been no food, and not even any guard since Narcissa Malfoy's visit. Despite the temptation to take advantage of this change in security, tonight was the first night Draco had stolen down to the depths of his home.

'Of course you can, Loony.' Draco helped himself to the apple Luna had yet to claim and sat down next to her.

'No, I mean... I know it's possible to choose who you'd _like_ to be friends with but sometimes they just happen. Like, one day, you're greeting each other on the way to class and then a few days later you realise they're your friend. You don't really choose for that to happen, do you?'

Draco took a bite out of his apple and mulled over what Luna'd said whilst he chewed.

'I wouldn't know, Lovegood. I don't have friends.'

'You're wrong, Draco. Because I think, whether you intended it or not, you are my friend.'

She paused, saying her next sentence with less assurance.

'And I think that I am your friend too.'

'You're annoyingly persistent, why does it matter?'

'You didn't deny it.'

Draco coughed in exasperation.

'I barely know what friendship means, Lovegood. How do you expect me to know if you're my friend?'

'I spent a year trying to convince you that there was more to life than being a death eater. Do you think I would have done that if I didn't consider you a friend?' There was an edge to her voice that made her sound almost angry at him.

'I think you would have done anything to prevent this war from happening, much like anyone else.'

'But would you be down here, providing prisoners with food and placing yourself in danger if you weren't my friend?'

Draco shook his head in denial and got to his feet. Luna followed and in a gesture of desperation she clutched at his hand and pulled him back.

'Whatever you say, there's no clear benefit in it for you other than my company. And wouldn't most people say that enjoying each other's company would make two people friends?'

Draco awkwardly shifted his weight from one foot to the other, sneering mockingly. His eyes seemed to be looking anywhere but at Luna. There was a look in her eyes, an almost hunger for confirmation that scared him. She should hate him and yet here she was, willing him to admit that he was her friend.

'What does it matter, Lovegood. Friends won't save you.'

Luna's hands reached up and cupped his face, forcing him to look her in the eye.

'Friends always matter, Draco. They can make even the most horrible of situations at least a little more bearable.'

'Do they really?' Draco smirked as he removed Luna's hands from his face.

'Well I'm sorry but your situation is about to return to being unbeara-'

Draco's eyes widened as the unmistakable sound of footsteps met his ear. Moving silently into the darkest edge of the room, as close to the entrance of the basement he could manage, he watched Luna wrap herself in the blanket and pretend she was sleeping. He recognised the voices of the two death eaters that peered through the gate. They were clumsy, dense and lazy. They had been just as likely to choose Potter's side as they had to join voldemort. They fought for personal gain and Voldemort had promised to be more profitable. Draco doubted they even knew what they were fighting for. Their stupidity worked in Draco's favour. One quick look at the sleeping Luna and they considered their job done and dusted. Not for one moment did it enter their heads that their host's son could be concealed barely a few feet away.

As the sound of their footsteps died, Draco breathed a sigh of relief and Luna scrambled to her feet.

As the light from the gate caught his face, Luna could see Draco smirking as she reached him.

'And your company is meant to make these escapades worth my while?' he raised one eyebrow. 'I know girls who are much cheaper.'

Luna took a while to realise what he was inferring and when she did her eyes grew wide in shock and her cheeks began to flush. In a warped way it was a scene reminiscent of their time at Hogwarts.

'So' With one quick movement, Draco had Luna pinned up against the wall. Just as he had on the day they met. 'When are you going to make it worth my while, Lovegood?'

Luna squirmed uncomfortably and Draco's smirk actually turned into a smile.

'I'm joking, Luna.' Then, turning as he let himself out of the gate. 'That's what friends do, isn't it?'

Later that night Luna sat alone and smiled at the memory.

* * *

><p><strong>I've had this written for weeks so I have absolutely no idea why I hadn't uploaded it! Stupid me!<strong>


	47. Chapter 47

Two nights later the goblin was returned, bruised but otherwised physically unharmed and grumbling at double the usual rate. Luna gave up on her attempts to console him and accepted that some people just enjoy grumbling. He seemed to only quieten when he slept, a fact even Draco had managed to figure out. He waited not only for the occupants of the house to be asleep but also the occupants of the basement before he entered.

When he entered he found Luna sleeping peacefully and although he tried his best not to wake her, as soon as the key turned in the lock, her eyelids fluttered open.

'Good evening, Draco. Or is it morning? I can never tell.'

'It's three o clock in the bloody morning, Lovegood.'

'Oh, well good morning then. It's so dark in here, it's difficult to tell when it's day or night.'

'Well I've told you, haven't I?, so be quiet.'

He sat on the floor next to her, his elbows resting on his knees, his eyes glaring into the darkness.

'Draco, what's wrong?'

'The screaming's stopped.'

Luna's brows furrowed. 'You mean Mr Ollivander? He's not dead, is he?'

Draco shook his head. 'No it's worse. It means they've got what they wanted. He's told them.'

'But what did they want?'

'He's a wandmaker, dimwit. They wanted the most powerful wand in the world. And he's told them where to find it. So whatever Potter tries now it useless. He might as well give up. Your wonderful wandmaker has betrayed them.'

'Stop it!' Luna leapt to her feet as though his words had bitten her. 'We have to trust Harry!' She tried desperately to stop herself from shaking but her attempts were futile. Draco got to his feet, his face emotionless and calm.

'You can tell yourself that all you want, Luna. But he's not here. Voldemort has the wand now and every person he can threaten out looking for them. It's only a matter of time.'

'Please stop. This place has taken my freedom from me. I refuse to let it take my hope as well.'

Her fists were clenched but her knees continued to shake.

'It's the truth, Luna. There's no point in denying it. Being brave will do nothing but get you killed.'

'But I'm not brave.' Luna was still shaking. 'I try so so hard. But I'm scared.' Tears began to trickle down her cheeks as she placed her head in her hands. 'Merlin, I'm so so scared.'

What Draco did next surprised everyone. It surprised Luna who's tears stopped abruptly in shock. It surprised Draco, who found himself doing it before he's even thought about it and it surprised Griphook, watching with one eye from across the room and made him think that perhaps there was more to the Malfoy boy than meets the eye.

In the moment that Luna had finished speaking, Draco's arms had encased her and pulled her close, his hand had stroked her hair gently and into her hair he had whispered that she was the bravest friend he had, to which Luna had replied that she was the only friend he had and laughed in spite of herself.

His actions were the final proof that something inside of Draco had altered. For when Luna had cried and doubted herself. Draco had felt no contempt for her weakness and no thought for his own gain. He had finally learned to care for someone more than he cared for himself.

Draco himself was still trying to get to grips with what he had just done. Holding her against him felt strange. It was role reversal. He was supporting her when for the whole time he had been falling apart she had supported him. She was Luna Lovegood. Stupidly positive, annoyingly distant and a rainbow of refreshment in the black, rain cloud that was the wizarding world. Yet even her light seemed to be fading before his eyes. He wasn't used to being the strong one. All his life he had followed the crowd or lead them. Never had he had to put even an ounce of effort into his life. Now suddenly he felt the pressure of someone who was relying on him to help her.

He took her face in his hands, wiping the last remnants of her tears away.

'Luna, you've been brave for so long, I think you've forgotten that you are.' Luna looked puzzled so he continued. He'd never comforted anyone before, yet he found it surprisingly easy. 'You've spent your whole life standing up for what you believe in no matter what. That is bravery.'

'But what if they torture me? What if I give in? What if I betray my friends, Draco?'

Draco's hands forced Luna's head to stop shaking.

'You won't.'He sneered suddenly to himself 'Oh merlin, I'm starting to sound like you.'

Luna smiled weakly. 'Well as long as you don't give me all that hippy crap about believing in yourself, Malfoy. I think I'll be fine.'

Draco laughed and then Luna noticed a familiar smirk sneak across his face.

'Draco? You're thinking something that will probably make me feel uncomfortable, aren't you?'

Draco brought his face close to hers.

'I was just thinking that since we're already in such close proximity, Miss Lovegood, you probably won't object to me doing this.'

And certainly Luna did not object to Draco kissing her. She did not object at all.

In fact, the only person who objected was Griphook, who five minutes later made an audible grunt that told the two blondes exactly what he thought.

And later, when Draco had gone, Luna received a long lecture from Griphook about how insufferably stupid she was for fraternising with the enemy and trusting 'that Malfoy Boy'. But she didn't care. Because in that kiss he had convinced her that there was hope. That even in the darkest situations, there was always something positive that could come of it.


	48. Chapter 48

It had been two weeks and there was still no sign of Draco. Ollivander was back and thankfully so was a reasonably regular supply of food. At first Luna had almost enjoyed not having the constant gnawing feeling in her stomach. But as the number of days since she had last seen Draco grew, her appetite lessened. On this particular morning she had given her small portion of food to Ollivander. He had protested strongly with it being the third day in a row she'd gone without food but after an offer from Griphook saying he'd eat it, he gave in.

As a result of Luna being the main initiator of conversations and her being in no mood to talk, the basement was deathly quiet save for the sound of laboured breathing. Luna had taken to sitting by the gate, just to hear sounds of life, even if it was the lives of people trying to kill her friends.

When Draco finally braved the basement two days later, he found her sitting there, her head resting on the wall, unconscious. Dropping to his knees, he shook her, looked at the vacant expressions of the goblin and the wandmaker then shook her again. When he again got no response from Luna, he turned to the two other basement occupants.

'How long has she been like this?'

Griphook barely looked up, 'Like what?'

'She's unconscious, you half grown gargoyle.'

Lying her down, Draco routed through what little first aid he could remember, placing her into the recovery position.

'It's her own fault. She should have eaten. Blood sugar's probably low.'

Draco's patience was wearing thinner and thinner every time the goblin spoke.

'Why hasn't she been eating?'

Griphook shrugged. 'Said she didn't want to. Stopped a few days after you'd stopped showing your face.'

'Why didn't you make her eat?'

'Tried.'

At the lack of care in the Goblin's voice, Draco snapped. Grabbing him by the collar, Draco sneered.

'Well you didn't try hard enough.'

The goblin was about to reply when Ollivander's voice cut him short.

'She was worried about you, boy. That's why she couldn't eat. Never underestimate the power of emotions on appetite.'

At his accusation, Draco released his hold on Griphook.

'Well how can I wake her up?'

Ollivander got to his feet and struggled towards Luna.

'She'll wake up in time.'

'But she doesn't have time. They've got the wand. They need Harry. She's his friend. It's only so long before they use her. And I can't let them do that.'

Although his sentences were short and rapid, they were calm. A trait that was beginning to unnerve Griphook. So when Draco suddenly shot to his feet and strode out of the gate, the goblin looked wonderingly after him.

'He's a strange boy.'

Ollivander just shook his head. 'Actually. I think this is the closest thing to normal that Mr Malfoy has ever been.'

Movement out of the corner of his eye alerted the wandmaker that Luna was waking up. Talking to her gently, he found himself apologizing for failing her, an apology she would never remember nor would she have felt it necessary if she had. It did however make Draco reconsider his wish for the wandmaker to die a sudden death when he heard it.

Kneeling down beside the now fully conscious Luna, he revealed his offerings.

'I brought you an apple. They're quite high in sugar I think and I found some of these.' He held out a half empty packet of Bertie Bott's every flavour beans which Luna took gratefully.

'Draco, you're being considerate. I think it suits you.'

'I'm trying to keep you alive, Luna.' There was a coldness to his tone which made Luna feel as though she had done something very wrong.

'I'm not doing a very good job of living. That's why you're angry at me, isn't it?'

Luna's eyes were focused on Draco's clenched fists. His voice was strained as he answered.

'What's the point in me risking my own neck to protect yours when you can't do something as simple as eat the food you're given? If I get caught down here, they'd kill me on the spot and you're refusing food like a spoilt rich kid. Stop being so bloody selfish would you and live. There are people out there fighting to save you and you can't even be bothered to stay alive long enough for them to rescue you.'

'Draco...' Luna reached out to to touch one of his shaking hands but he tore it away from her, standing up as if her touch had repulsed him. Something had snapped at her touch and as he turned to her there was as much confusion in his expression as there was anger.

'No. How could you? You'd let them win so easily. You talk so much about fighting back but you're as good as helping them. You're a hypocritical bitch, do you know that? All that talk last year about never losing hope and as soon as things get tough you do this! If you're going to give in that easily you might as well be dead. What use are you to Harry if you can't even eat? How could you betray them? How could you betray ME?'

'Draco... Stop... please.' Draco finally paused his pacing and really looked at the girl he had been directing his fury at. Luna was weak and bruised, her eyes bloodshot and tearful and she looked close to breaking.

'I'm so sorry, Draco. I...'

Ollivander cut her off. 'You've said your piece, boy. But I think it would be best if you go now. The damage is done.'

Draco paused for a moment and Luna saw regret flash across his eyes for a mere second before he turned to Ollivander.

'You have nothing to say to me, Old man. She'd be dead for days before you would even notice.'


	49. Chapter 49

It took until she heard Draco on the floorboards above them before Luna finally released the tears she had been holding in. And there were too many to count. There were feelings coursing through her body which made her limbs heavy and weak and her heart hurt. Her head was spinning and it was all she could do to not scream with all her might. Whatever Voldemort might do to her in the future could not possibly hurt her more than she was hurting in that moment. Because she had done the unthinkable. She had betrayed them. She had given up. Ollivander was trying to counsel her, his words failing to break down the wall of sorrow Luna had built around her. Because everything Draco had said was right. She was a hypocrite. She pretended to be so hopeful and optimistic and yet she had gone so far as to even give up on herself and in the process, every other person who was helping her.

But she would make it up to him. She would eat and she would get strong and she would not give in. She had to live for her friends. She had to live for Draco.

Upstairs, Draco was rifling through his third year textbook to find the spell used to fix plaster, glass and brick, ignoring the blood that was dripping from his knuckles onto the pages.

He wasn't usually physical in his anger, particularly when it was directed at himself but when he had finally reached his room that night the wall didn't stand a chance.

He had been right in what he'd said, he knew that but he'd been wrong in shouting at her. Wrong to call her most of the things he'd called her. Why hadn't he stopped? He couldn't get her face out of his head or the thought that he'd done that to her. It was worse than when he had left her tied up before he'd gone to kill Dumbledore.

He tried to figure out when the fear had turned to anger. One moment he'd been so scared he was going to lose her and then suddenly he was calling her a hypocritical bitch. What had possessed him? He was usually so rational and calm and yet in that moment all logic had gone out the window because he was so angry that she didn't think about how much it would hurt him if she died. That she didn't think about how much he needed her.

But his anger had hurt her and he would do whatever it would take to heal the pain he had caused her. Because she was the first and only friend he had ever had and Draco wasn't about to give up on her like she had given up on him.

So naturally he got her flowers.

He stole them from the conservatory. They weren't real and they had faded slightly in the sun but florists were in short supply in the war and he figured that the low light in the dungeon would prevent the lack of colour being at all noticeable anyway so it wouldn't matter. He'd bought flowers for girls before. Usually for Pansy when he'd been caught with another girl. He'd buy her roses and she'd forgive him on the spot. It was one of her more useful qualities. But these were not a get out of jail free card and he didn't expect Luna to be as easily satisfied as Pansy had always been.

Which is why he never could have anticipated the welcome he received when he finally worked up the courage to go down to the basement.

Luna greeted him with a familiar 'Oh hello Draco' and most baffling of all, she smiled at him as she stood up, taking the flowers as he handed them to her.

'I got these for you. To say sorry. I think it's what friends are meant to do.'

Luna's smile grew into a grin which even in the darkness of the basement lit up her whole face.

'I've never been given flowers before! It's really quite lovely.'

Draco shrugged. 'They're hardly roses but you're welcome.'

Luna took his hand gently. 'It's the sentiment that counts.'

Again Draco shrugged. The absurdity of a romantic meeting in his basement was making him more and more uncomfortable. 'I upset you. I thought it make make you more likely to forgive me. It worked with Pansy.'

Luna shook her head.

'No you were right to say what you did. Abrupt and maybe a little offensive in your language but you meant well and I needed to hear it. Otherwise who knows what could have happened, I could have really given up hope and then where would we be? And in a way it made me happy.'

Draco smirked. 'You have a funny way of looking happy, Lovegood.'

Luna looked at him seriously. 'It made me happy because you cared. It's one thing to be kind and comforting but it takes a deeper kind of love to tell someone what they need to hear even though they don't want to hear it.'

'Who said anything about love, Lovegood?'

Luna met his eyes and found them not to be mocking her as she expected but challenging her. And to her own surprise she met the challenge. Gripping the lapels of his jacket she pulled him towards her and pressed her lips to his. It took Draco less than five seconds to get over his surprise and respond, one hand around her waist pulling her as close as was physically possible and the other on her neck. All too suddenly pulled away from Luna, resting his forehead against hers.

'I don't think friends do this.'

Luna met his eyes. 'No, I don't suppose they do.'

'Then what are we, Lovegood?' Luna looked at his face but the smirk that should have accompanied such a question wasn't there.

'You already know, so why ask me?

'Luna.'

'I think that we are lovers, Draco.'

And as Draco planted one final kiss on her lips, he smirked.

'much better.'

But as he made his way up the steps, a voice at the back of Luna's mind reminded her that it probably was not much better at all.


	50. Chapter 50

Bellatrix had been bored. Being no closer to catching Harry she had become impatient. And so a game had been suggested. Draco had opted out until Bellatrix had announced the prize and had her brought out of the basement, trembling and wide eyed.

'Winner gets her for the night. Are you interested in playing now, Draco?' Draco had learnt to control his emotions, a skill which had become invaluable for moments like this.

'I'll play. I could do with someone to entertain me.'

He walked over to join his aunt at the table, feeling Luna's eyes on him as he did. He managed to stop himself from looking at her. He needed all of his concentration if he was going to be playing against his aunt. There were three other death-eaters playing but Draco could tell just from looking at them that they were no threat. Even when Bellatrix pulled out a pack of muggle cards he didn't flinch.

'We're going to do this the hard way. No magic, just pure and simple skill and luck.'

She cackled as though she was threatening them rather than explaining the rules of the game. Draco nodded, he could deal with that. He had played this way before.

And so they played.

Draco didn't look at Luna at all for the entire time he was playing. In fact he forgot about her existence. For cards you needed a cool head. And he did not have a cool head when Luna was around. But he knew the game and more importantly, he knew who he was playing against. His aunt, as erratic as she was, was so unpredictable, it made her predictable. She would play moves that were risky and up against less experienced players would have payed off. But Draco was more than experienced. He'd spent his time at Hogwarts beating some of the best cards players in the school. To the point where there was a time when half of Slytherin house owed him money. Of course, that was at a more care free time but Draco was thankful for the experience now.

Luna looked like she was about to throw up as Draco took a final card and threw down his hand. Draco noticed her shoulders relax slightly although it was the only visual sign she was relieved. Bellatrix looked from the cards to him from beneath her thick hair, grinning.

'You cheated.' Draco met her eyes.

'And you didn't?' To which Bellatrix let out a cackle of manic laughter in reply.

'Good boy.' Draco nodded cooly, standing up and taking Luna by the wrist.

'Then I'll take my prize.'

Thankfully the terror from observing the game hadn't worn off and she still looked mildly frightened as Draco lead her from the room. He pulled her at such a speed up the stairs that she stumbled as her legs struggled to keep up with him. But he didn't slow down until they had reached his room. Throwing Luna through the door, he slammed it behind him. Luna stared at him wide eyed, desperately trying to get her breath back. Draco's eyes darted around the room for a moment, his eyes finally meeting Luna's. From her expression Draco had a feeling she was expecting him to do what he did. But it didn't stop her from screaming or fighting back. She was so weak it took next to no effort for Draco to force her onto the bed and hold her down. He paused for a second. She'd stopped screaming. Inside his head Draco cursed. Bellatrix would need to hear more. Why had she chosen now of all times to trust him? His eyes met hers and through gritted teeth he told her to scream. When she paused Draco took a deep breath, whispered an apology and reached for the strap of her top. It took Luna a few seconds to process and then she started screaming again.

* * *

><p>'It's because I can't act isn't it?'<p>

Luna was sitting cross-legged in the centre of the bed, her hair loose around her shoulders. She had released it from its ties after most of it had escaped in the struggle that had occurred moments earlier and that, along with her underwear and the blanket that Draco had thrown at her were the only things covering her modesty. She was watching the hunched over frame of Draco as he stared blankly at the wall across from where he was sitting, his hands clasped together as though he was praying, ignoring the blood that had begun to seep out of the four scratches on his neck where Luna had clawed him. He had not made a sound since using the silencing spell on the room. The moment the words had left his lips, he had leapt off Luna as though she was on fire and moved to sit at the edge of the bed, motionless and silent.

'Draco?' Luna crawled across the bed and sat next to him but he barely acknowledged her existence. Eventually, in a voice barely audible, he spoke, addressing the wall rather than Luna.

'I'm sorry.' Luna slipped her hand inbetween his clasped ones.

'Don't be. You did the only thing you could.' Standing up, she pulled Draco to his feet.

'You saved me from Bellatrix so really, I can only be grateful.' Smiling as though the last horrific two hours had never happened, Luna strolled around the room, her fingers tracing the furniture just as they had in the room of requirement.

'And now we can talk like we used to, like we're friends.' Draco looked at the small blonde as she surveyed the room. In brighter lighting it was much more evident how unhealthy and dirty she looked. Walking next to her as she studied the pictures lined up on his dresser, Draco took her hand and turned her to face him.

'Two things, Lovegood. Then we can talk.' He pointed to a door on his right.

'First, shower. You smell like my basement. Second, food. Third, we'll talk.' He handed her a towel and had to take a step back as she flung her arms around his neck, dropping the blanket in the process and spreading her first true smile in weeks beaming across her face. With a quick whispered thank you Luna disappeared through the door and Draco flopped onto his bed, exhaustion completely overtaking him.


	51. Chapter 51

Draco was sure it must be a mermaid. Or a nymph. Those things existed, didn't they? Because there was definitely a figure sat on the end of his bed with flowing blonde hair and Draco was almost convinced it was glowing. Rubbing his eyes disbelievingly he realised it was Luna. She turned as she felt the movement when he sat up, her eyes meeting his. It was only when she stood up and walked over to him that he realised she was wearing nothing but his bath robe which just about swamped her petite frame.

'My clothes smell of the basement too.'

'Your clothes are in pieces on my floor, Lovegood. It wouldn't matter if they smelt of basement or not, you'll not be able to wear them again.'

Luna looked extremely uncomfortable, her hands folded uncharacteristically across her chest. He slid himself to the end of the bed and opened his wardrobe, his eyes clearly searching for something. He finally found what he was looking for and moments later, Luna appeared from the bathroom in a pair of pyjamas that were several sizes too big for her and a grin to match. Her expression was infectious and as she bounded up to sit beside him, he couldn't help but smile at how comical she looked.

'Are you hungry?'

Luna nodded, watching as Draco pulled out a box from beneath his bed. It was filled to the brim with every treat Luna could imagine and more besides. To a half starved girl who'd survived mostly on bread and water for over a month, it looked like heaven.

'Where on earth did you get all that, Draco?' Luna questioned, picking up a chocolate frog, 'You've got enough sweets to run your own trolley on the Hogwarts express.'

Draco just shrugged and sat back down on his bed, smirking at the expression of glee that was creeping across her face as she sat on the floor beside the box and began to tuck in.

'I win a lot of card games.'

If things were different, I'd chastise you for gambling. But given what just happened, I can't say I'm sorry you've had the practice.'

The smirk on Draco's face wavered. The Luna he was observing now was too carefree, she was too smiley, too trusting and it unnerved him. For a girl who had come close to facing torture, she was too calm. How could she be joking about his gambling habits when only moments ago her safety had depended on them?

'Is it difficult to gamble? I mean it must be, I'd imagine it's quite fun though, taking risks. I had a great uncle once who gambled away his entire collection of red nosed…'

Luna's words faded out as she noticed the cloud that had descended over Draco's expression.

'Draco?...'

'Do you really think what I just did was easy? Do you think I enjoyed risking your safety? Merlin, Luna, you say some ridiculous things.'

Luna's happy expression vanished. 'Draco, I didn't mean… I was just… I just thought when the stakes aren't as high…'

'But they were high, Luna. Those death eaters weren't in the game because they wanted to have afternoon tea with you. Merlin, you were so scared. I saw you. How can you laugh about it?'

Luna shook her head and began to speak but Draco continued,

'Do you know how close I was to losing? You have no idea how bloody scared I was. So please, by all means laugh. But don't laugh about how close I came to losing.'

Luna stood up, taking Draco's hand.

'What else can we do to make terrible memories bearable than to try to laugh about elements of them? You didn't lose. And it was because of a habit you developed at a much happier time. I prefer to draw on the happy times that saved me, rather than the scary times that put me in danger, don't you?'

Draco shook his head, baffled. 'You're unbelievable, Lovegood.'

Luna just smiled dazedly 'Lots of people have said that. I think people should start believing in me more. They might benefit from it, I think. For example, right now I'm not going to waste the time we have thinking about every bad thing that is happening in the world. Because what can we do about them from inside this room?'

'But what about Potter?'

'I don't really think there's much I can do to help Harry from the inside of your bedroom, do you?'

The smirk suddenly returned to Draco's face and Luna raised her eyebrows questioningly but his smirk only grew in response.

'I was just thinking…' He stood up suddenly, spinning Luna around so her back was pinned against his chest, his mouth level with her ear, his hands, clasping hers as he wrapped his arms around her.

'What would Mr Potter think, if he knew you were in my bedroom?'

He could feel her heart racing, and one quick glance in the mirror opposite them revealed the half smile that was playing around her face.

'And what's more…' He whispered, placing a gentle kiss on her neck before meeting her eyes in the mirror. 'You're happy to be here.' He kissed her again. 'In my arms.' He tilted her face towards him. 'Letting me kiss you.'

Although in fact, it was Luna who kissed Draco first, cutting his final observation short.

But this time there was no Griphook clearing his throat, no Ollivander watching out of the corner of his eye, and although the world outside seemed to be tearing itself to pieces, the worry was momentarily forgotten.

And yet ten minutes later, looking down at the wide expecting eye of the Ravenclaw lying beneath him, Draco hesitated, refastening the button hole he had moments ago undone.

'I can't do this, Luna.' He stroked her cheek gently. 'Not now.' As her eyebrows furrowed, he lay down next to her. 'I mean I want to but you're different.'

'I'm not that different, Draco. I'm pretty much anatomically identical to every other girl on this planet.'

Draco shook his head, entwining his fingers with hers.

'No. I mean you're different to me. You're not like the other girls. It didn't mean anything with them, it was just physical. But now…' He swallowed, running his free hand through his hair.

'Half of the people in this house think I'm raping you, the other half think that and are hoping that I'll get you pregnant so they can treat you like a little pureblood baby farm. No matter how you twist it, to the rest of the world, I'm still captor and you're still prisoner. I don't want it to happen this way.'

Luna shuffled closed to him, her head resting against his chest.

'When I'm free Draco…' Luna's voice was distorted by the sound of a huge yawn and Draco stroked her hair gently.

'When we're both free, Luna.' Draco tried to sound confident but he couldn't silence the voice in the back of his mind that taunted him.

Don't be ridiculous, Malfoy. As if you're ever going to be free. And even if you manage to be, do you really think when this war ends she'd choose you?

* * *

><p><strong>Hi again everyone! I realise it has literally been months so I'm going to try to post some chapters over the next week and get this show back on the road again. Apologies for vanishing and hope you've all had a wonderful Christmas!<strong>


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